Design and Preliminary Immunogenicity Evaluation of Nipah Virus Glycoprotein G Epitope-Based Peptide Vaccine in Mice

Abstract

Background: The emergence of several paramyxoviruses, including Nipah virus (NiV), makes continued efforts in vaccine development as part of pandemic preparedness efforts necessary. Although NiV is a zoonotic pathogen with high case fatality, there is still no licensed vaccine. Methods: Herein, NiV attachment glycoprotein G (NiV-G), which is crucial to host cell receptor binding, was used to develop Nipah epitope-based peptide vaccines. A total of 39 B- and T-cell epitopes of NiV-G were shortlisted for peptide synthesis and evaluation using in silico analysis. Results: The in vitro antigenicity evaluation of the peptide candidates showed eight synthesized peptides (G7, stalk-domain epitopes) with relatively high binding to NiV-G antibody-positive serum (A450nm: 1.39-3.78). Moreover, nine-mer (9-mer) peptides were found to be less reactive than their longer peptide counterparts (15-30 aa, G7-1, and G7-4), but 9-mer activity was enhanced with cyclization (NPLPFREYK, A450nm: 2.66) and C-terminal amidation modification (NPLPFREYK-NH2, A450nm: 1.39). Subsequently, in vivo validation in immunized mice revealed the immunogenicity potential of the G7-1 peptide vaccine (30 aa, NENVNEKCKFTLPPLKIHECNISCPNPLPF) to elicit a strong antigen-specific antibody response against their homologous peptide antigen (I.V., A450nm: 1.48 +/- 0.78; I.M., A450nm: 1.66 +/- 0.66). However, antibody binding to recombinant NiV-G protein remained low, suggesting limited recognition to the native antigen. Conclusions: This study focused on the preliminary screening and validation of peptide vaccines using single formulations with minimal modifications in the peptide candidates. Our findings collectively show the immunogenic potential of the NiV-G stalk-based epitope peptide vaccine as a novel therapeutic for NiV and underscores the need for strategic design, delivery, and formulation optimization to enhance its protective efficacy and translational application.