Design of a multi-epitope-based peptide vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant using bioinformatics approach

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2, a member of the coronavirus family, is an RNA virus characterized by a single-stranded genome and is responsible for the development of COVID-19. The emergence of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in 2021 marked a significant variation recognized by the World Health Organization. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the spike glycoprotein of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and identify potential immunogenic epitopes in order to design multi-epitope vaccine constructs. Among the other major structural proteins of the coronavirus, the spike glycoprotein stands out as the largest. Importantly, individuals who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 were found to possess antibodies that target the spike glycoprotein. This article asserts that the vaccine presented in this study has the potential to elicit immune responses against previous variants, including the Omicron variant, as well as future variations. This is attributed to the utilization of a Java-based tool, which facilitated the identification of conserved epitopes with high immunogenicity scores, ensuring their non-toxic and non-allergenic properties. Our analysis provides strong evidence for the conservation of these epitopes across all coronavirus sequences detected in various countries since the beginning of the pandemic. The vaccine was subsequently constructed by integrating the identified conserved epitopes with linkers and adjuvants. The vaccine was subsequently evaluated through computational tests to assess their efficacy and performance.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Omicron variant; bioinformatics; multi-epitope vaccine; spike protein.