Epi4Ab: A data-driven prediction model of conformational epitopes for specific antibody VH/VL families and CDR H3/L1 sequences

Antibodies recognize antigens via complementary and structurally dependent mechanisms. Therefore, inclusion of antibody inputs is crucial for accurate epitope prediction. Given limited availability of antibody-antigen complex structures, it is necessary that any epitope prediction model requires minimal yet sufficient antibody inputs to ensure precise epitope identification. To address this need, we introduce Epi4Ab, an antibody-specific epitope prediction model, which focuses on identifying unique in-contact antigen residues for a given antibody. Epi4Ab requires minimal antibody inputs, specifically VH/VL families and CDR H3/L1 sequences.