[nyawira]

Hi, I was wondering how the body processes subunit vaccines or even peptide vaccines which are more specific antigens. Do these still have to go to the Antigen Presenting Cells first? or can antibodies bind directly? Does route of administration affect response?

[kolean]

Yes, the peptide is just being made in the cells that is transfected with the vaccine vector. The cells producing the antigen peptide has to go thru the whole immunity process. Now the mode of delivery and where you place this vaccine is where you can manipulate the immune response to the antigen the vaccine is producing. You can decide if you want antibodies made against the antigen (B-cell immunity response) or if you want the T-cells to destroy the cell that has the antigen it is presenting. Of course this would also have to be factored in the sequence for the antigen vaccine, as each immune cell can bind to certain lengths of antigen peptide specifically (B-cell is usually smaller and less bulky peptides, while the T-cell can take longer peptides and bulky R- group amino acids).

[nyawira]

Hey Kolean, thanks for reply; I thought though that you could use some pure peptides with some adjuvants as a vaccine. I was thinking about synthetic peptides. Such that the delivery system contains no cells but just the peptide antigen. Isn’t that possible?

Additionally, just seen that as a rule, soluble antigen e.g. peptides or proteins (from lysed bacteria for instance) are displayed mainly on the MHC 2 but particulate antigens and intracellular pathogen debri’s presented on MHC 1 hence antibody and cytotoxic T Cell activation respectively……Is my take wrong?

[kolean]

I guess I am trying to focus mainly on what you mean by pure peptides.

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