Every day, the world faces the challenge of newly emerging pathogens that require quick diagnosis and efficient control. Currently, our world is facing the emergence of the COVID-19 viral pandemic, together with pathogens with progressive resistance to known treatments and preventions.
Precise epitope mapping, through the accurate identification of the binding site of the antibody on the specific antigen of the pathogen, offers a powerful technique to design and develop sensitive diagnostics tools. Moreover, the use of epitope mapping techniques is shown to accelerate the rate of development of safe and efficient immunoprophylactic preparations.
Currently, computational techniques (big data analytics) for the tracking of the epidemic offers a powerful tool to understand and control newly emerging pathogens, as well as, guiding the design of the vaccines and diagnostics. Simultaneously, immunoinformatic techniques depending on artificial intelligence (AI) tools, shorten the way and reduce the cost and time required for the design and development of vaccines and diagnostics. Furthermore, AI is used to test the safety and allergenicity of the selected epitopes, instead of using large numbers of experimental animals.
A good example for that is in COVID-19, when China first released the structure of the full genome of the virus, the production of epitope mapped vaccines and immunodiagnostics initiated depending on epitopes predicted by those in silico identified building blocks. Furthermore, the epidemiological study of the virus propagation and response to treatment in Italy gave a better understanding of how to deal with the epidemic and how to flatten its increasing spread.
In this Research Topic, we want to collect the recent advances in the epitope mapping tool and associated AI for the design of powerful vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic tools, with the aim of facing the clinical needs posed by the emergence of new infectious diseases. We welcome reviews, mini-reviews, original research, and other article types, which will expand on this theme.
Every day, the world faces the challenge of newly emerging pathogens that require quick diagnosis and efficient control. Currently, our world is facing the emergence of the COVID-19 viral pandemic, together with pathogens with progressive resistance to known treatments and preventions.
Precise epitope mapping, through the accurate identification of the binding site of the antibody on the specific antigen of the pathogen, offers a powerful technique to design and develop sensitive diagnostics tools. Moreover, the use of epitope mapping techniques is shown to accelerate the rate of development of safe and efficient immunoprophylactic preparations.
Currently, computational techniques (big data analytics) for the tracking of the epidemic offers a powerful tool to understand and control newly emerging pathogens, as well as, guiding the design of the vaccines and diagnostics. Simultaneously, immunoinformatic techniques depending on artificial intelligence (AI) tools, shorten the way and reduce the cost and time required for the design and development of vaccines and diagnostics. Furthermore, AI is used to test the safety and allergenicity of the selected epitopes, instead of using large numbers of experimental animals.
A good example for that is in COVID-19, when China first released the structure of the full genome of the virus, the production of epitope mapped vaccines and immunodiagnostics initiated depending on epitopes predicted by those in silico identified building blocks. Furthermore, the epidemiological study of the virus propagation and response to treatment in Italy gave a better understanding of how to deal with the epidemic and how to flatten its increasing spread.
In this Research Topic, we want to collect the recent advances in the epitope mapping tool and associated AI for the design of powerful vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic tools, with the aim of facing the clinical needs posed by the emergence of new infectious diseases. We welcome reviews, mini-reviews, original research, and other article types, which will expand on this theme.
