Mapeamento dos epítopos lineares de anticorpos na infecção de Covid-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in early 2020, underscored not only the importance of rapid vaccine development but also the deep inequalities in vaccine access across the globe. While high-income countries achieved broad immunization coverage, many low-income nations continue to struggle with limited availability. In search of more accessible solutions, our group explored the potential of peptide-based vaccines, known for their lower cost and ease of production. We analyzed serum samples from hospitalized COVID-19 patients with distinct clinical outcomes to identify key epitopes from the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. One patient who recovered (COV690) showed a strong antibody response, particularly targeting the receptor-binding domain, whereas a patient with severe disease who later died (COV841) displayed minimal reactivity. Based on this data, we designed a synthetic peptide containing the most frequently recognized epitopes. Although ELISA assays did not yield conclusive results, our microarray analysis and structural modeling suggest that these epitopes are located in crucial regions of the spike protein involved in viral entry. These findings point to the potential of peptide-based vaccines to elicit a meaningful immune response and offer a promising, more equitable path forward—especially in settings where access to complex vaccine technologies remains limited.