Within the adaptive immune system, B cells are integral for protecting the human body against diverse pathogenic threats. These cells form a crucial component of humoral immunity, which relies on antibodies for defense. Following exposure to pathogens, B cells produce antibodies that specifically target and neutralize these invaders. However, rather than recognizing pathogens in their entirety, B cells identify specific molecular components called antigens. The component of an antigen that can be detected by the immune system, primarily by B cells or T cells, is the epitope, also known as the antigenic determinant . For immunologists, accurate detection of conformational B-cell epitopes is still a major hurdle. The major plant allergens belonging to the white birch (Betula verrucosa) and common hazel (Corylus avellana) are the antigens chosen for this analysis. Allergic hypersensitivity (aka allergy) is a reaction that happens in an individual when the same allergen is introduced into this person who has already developed IgE antibodies in response to that antigen or allergen priorly. The most common causative agents of allergic reactions are pollen grains from plants, foods, bee stings, dust mites, molds, fungal spores, animal epithelia, fur and feathers, animal dander, latex, etc. Docking studies are conducted to predict how molecules will interact with biological targets, such as proteins, enzymes, or nucleic acids. These studies help in understanding the molecular mechanisms of biological processes and aid in the discovery and design of new drugs. Studies have indicated that allergic disorders such as anaphylaxis, hay fever, atopic dermatitis, eczema, asthma, along with other respiratory and pulmonary diseases affected nearly 25 percent of the population all around the world which are primarily caused by aero-allergens. The major allergens of both hazel and birch namely Cor a 1 and Bet v 1 are homologous to each other. According to researchers, about 53% of people who are allergic to birch pollen also have cross-reactivity towards Hazel (Cor a 1). People who are allergic to birch pollen (70%) also exhibit hypersensitive responses towards different seeds, fruits, nuts, and roots than those without an allergy to birch pollen (19%). Hazel allergy is very widespread across European countries and was shown to be the most prevalent source of food allergy mediated by IgE.
Author(s) Details:
Praveen Kumar Vemuri
Department of Biotechnology, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Varshitha Katta
Department of Biotechnology, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Anupama Ammulu Manne
Department of Civil Engineering, PVP Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Kanuru, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Kanaka Durga Devi Nelluri
KVSR Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Suryanarayana Veeravilli
Department of Humanities and Basic Sciences, Aditya University, Surampalem, Andhra Pradesh, India.
KRS Sambasiva Rao
Department of Pharmacy, Mangalayatan University, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Recent Global Research Developments in B-Cell Epitope Mapping: Advancing Vaccines and Therapeutic Antibodies
Reliable B Cell Epitope Predictions: Impacts of Method Development and Improved Benchmarking – This article discusses the updated version of the DiscoTope method, which enhances the prediction of B-cell epitopes using protein structures and epitope propensity scores.
Improving B-cell Epitope Prediction and Its Application to Global Antibody-Antigen Docking – This research introduces EpiPred, a method that combines conformational matching and specific scoring to predict epitope regions on antigens, improving the efficiency of antibody-antigen docking.
B Cell Epitope Mapping: The Journey to Better Vaccines and Therapeutic Antibodies – This review covers both conventional and emerging techniques used in B-cell epitope mapping, highlighting their importance in vaccine and therapeutic antibody development.
High-Throughput B Cell Epitope Determination by Next-Generation Sequencing – This article describes LIBRA-seq, a next-generation sequencing technology that enables residue-level epitope determination for thousands of single B cells simultaneously.
Epitope Mapping and Vaccine Design: Advances and Challenges – This paper explores the latest advancements and ongoing challenges in epitope mapping, emphasizing its role in rational vaccine design and the development of immunotherapeutics.
References
- Kringelum JV, Lundegaard C, Lund O, Nielsen M (2012) Reliable B Cell Epitope Predictions: Impacts of Method Development and Improved Benchmarking. PLoS Comput Biol 8(12): e1002829. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002829
- Konrad Krawczyk, Xiaofeng Liu, Terry Baker, Jiye Shi, Charlotte M. Deane, Improving B-cell epitope prediction and its application to global antibody-antigen docking, Bioinformatics, Volume 30, Issue 16, August 2014, Pages 2288–2294, https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btu190
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