Open Access

Hepatitis C virus-specific cellular and humoral immune responses following immunization with a multi-epitope fusion protein

  • Authors:
    • Feng Qiu
    • Shengli Bi
    • Yue Wang
    • Minzhuo Guo
    • Yao Yi
    • Siyong Chen
    • Yu Guo
    • Liping Shen
    • Zhiyuan Jia
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: September 28, 2011     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2011.801
  • Pages: 12-17
Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important causative agent of acute and chronic hepatitis worldwide. We prepared a fusion protein in the vector of pET-11d that included three conserved broadly neutralizing B-cell epitopes and a series of T-cell epitopes located in the HCV NS3 region. In vivo administration of this fusion construct resulted in specific CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes in both PBMCs and splenocytes that could recognize specific antigen sites that could be detected by FACS. An HCVcc system was established and applied to detect HCV-specific neutralizing antibodies. These results suggest that the multi-epitope fusion protein is immunogenic and can elicit both humoral and cellular immune responses. In particular, this fusion protein is able to elicit HCV-specific neutralizing antibodies, which are critical for viral clearance. This construct may be significant for vaccine development and could be a potential candidate to be included in the design of a prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine against HCV.

Related Articles

Journal Cover

January 2012
Volume 29 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Qiu F, Bi S, Wang Y, Guo M, Yi Y, Chen S, Guo Y, Shen L and Jia Z: Hepatitis C virus-specific cellular and humoral immune responses following immunization with a multi-epitope fusion protein. Int J Mol Med 29: 12-17, 2012.
APA
Qiu, F., Bi, S., Wang, Y., Guo, M., Yi, Y., Chen, S. ... Jia, Z. (2012). Hepatitis C virus-specific cellular and humoral immune responses following immunization with a multi-epitope fusion protein. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 29, 12-17. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2011.801
MLA
Qiu, F., Bi, S., Wang, Y., Guo, M., Yi, Y., Chen, S., Guo, Y., Shen, L., Jia, Z."Hepatitis C virus-specific cellular and humoral immune responses following immunization with a multi-epitope fusion protein". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 29.1 (2012): 12-17.
Chicago
Qiu, F., Bi, S., Wang, Y., Guo, M., Yi, Y., Chen, S., Guo, Y., Shen, L., Jia, Z."Hepatitis C virus-specific cellular and humoral immune responses following immunization with a multi-epitope fusion protein". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 29, no. 1 (2012): 12-17. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2011.801