Monkeypox virus is a member of the Poxviridae family, which
causes monkeypox zoonotic disease. Since July 2022, the prevention of
monkeypox have become more considerable due to the new outbreak, making
it a global concern. Therefore, we used an in silico-based method,
including immunoinformatics, bioinformatics, molecular docking, and gene
cloning approaches to design a novel multiepitope vaccine against
monkeypox. Three immunogenic envelope proteins of monkeypox virus,
including G10R, E8L, and A30L, were selected to predict appropriate
immune system stimulator epitopes. The A30L is common between smallpox
and monkeypox virus, so the proposed vaccine may be effective against
smallpox too. There is no evidence of allergenicity and toxicity of the
vaccine epitopes. To boost the immunogenicity of the designed vaccine,
we used the helper epitope of PADRE and RS01as adjuvants. Furthermore,
some linkers are used to link epitopes and adjuvants together. The
physicochemical futures of the designed vaccine were assessed. The
tertiary structure of the vaccine was modeled and then refined to
improve its structure and physicochemical properties. To analyze the
vaccine construct and TLR4 complex affinity, they were docked to gather.
Besides, the vaccine was cloned into E.coli. pET-21b(+) plasmid to
reveal that it can be expressed and stimulate the immune system. Immune
stimulation evaluation showed that the candidate vaccine could induce
the production of IgM, IgG1, and IgG2 antibodies. Overall, we suggested
an effective vaccine candidate against monkeypox. However, Future
studies and clinical trials should be done to ensure the efficacy and
safety of this vaccine.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.