Immunomics is a relatively new area of research. It is superior to traditional methods of antigen and vaccine discovery. These traditional approaches have proven ineffective against highly complex pathogens, such as those of malaria, tuberculosis, and schistosomiasis, which have evolved genetic and immunological host-parasite adaptations over time. CD Genomics uses an integrated and multidisciplinary immunomics approach to advance vaccine development services against complex pathogens.
Complex pathogens pose a significant challenge to the development of effective vaccines. In some cases, an effective immune response against only a subset of these antigens and epitopes is sufficient to provide competent protection. However, for many pathogens, subunit vaccines based on only one or a few antigens have been shown to be ineffective. Until recently, almost all licensed vaccines have been based on whole organisms, usually either live attenuated pathogens or inactivated/killed pathogens.
In a field of study as complex as vaccinology, the complexity of the human immune system is evident from cohorts of non-homogeneous populations with vastly different disease phenotypes and molecular profiles. Immunomics facilitates a rational, systematic, and comprehensive approach to antigen selection and prioritization for vaccine development, providing a systematic approach to identifying antigens and epitopes that interact with the host immune system.
Many immunomics methods have been applied to viruses. For example, immunomics studies have been performed on the influenza A (H1N1) virus to show the complex pathways of the host response to the virus and to reveal virus-host interactions as a basis for the development of a universal vaccine for influenza viruses.
These studies are based on predicted high affinity binding to HLA class I or II and high levels of conservation. More than 4000 predicted peptides are used to test their reactivity with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy human donors. An epitope called PB1 is found to be a major target for CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses.
Fig.1 Framework for immunomics universal virus vaccine design. (Qiu, X., Duvvuri, V. R., & Bahl, J., 2019)
Immunomics has also been successfully applied to bacteria. In one example, a Francisella tularensis protein microarray is generated and probed with sera from experimentally immunized mice. The study identified 11 of the 12 antigens previously identified using traditional methods, as well as an additional 31 new antigens. This study provides further evidence that the IgG subclass of protected animals is biased toward IgG2a.
There have been many immunomics studies targeting parasites, with a particular focus on Plasmodium spp. One study produced a more comprehensive array of 2320 protein fragments representing 23% of the Plasmodium falciparum proteome. Subsequent studies with this array have characterized 16 proteins associated with sterile immunity induced by experimental immunity to radiation-attenuated sporozoites and 49 antigens associated with natural exposure to malaria-induced immunity to disease. These data provide experimental support for polyvalent vaccines.
Many diseases with high mortality or morbidity indices are caused by pathogens with large complex genomes and multi-stage life cycles, which pose significant challenges to the development of effective vaccines.
Immunomics provides a promising basis for the systematic search for key determinants of immunity, such as key target antigens and epitopes, by focusing on the key components of host-pathogen interactions. This can form the basis for rationally designed next-generation vaccines.
Using the advanced technologies and techniques of immunomics, CD Genomics provides immunomics bioinformatics services to address the inherent challenges associated with large data sets and target identification services to identify antigens that are effective against most people, helping clients to rationally design vaccines that are highly effective against complex pathogens.
Each component of the immune response is inherently complex, and their interactions form an even more complex network of responses. CD Genomics has been focusing on immunomics research for many years, providing an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the immune system. We use high-throughput screening and omics approaches to help our clients with drug discovery and vaccine design.
