A DNA Vaccine Inducing T Cell Responses Against CCHF: From in silico to in vivo

Objectives Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is a severe viral disease with high fatality rates, and no approved vaccine is currently available. This study aimed to design and evaluate a multi-epitope recombinant vaccine for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever using computational and in vitro approaches. The data presented in this study were generated to assess the immunogenic potential of candidate vaccine constructs, with a focus on their ability to induce cell-mediated immune responses. Data Description The dataset includes predicted cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes from the nucleoprotein of the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus, analyzed for antigenicity, allergenicity, hydrophobicity, toxicity, and population coverage. It also comprises data on four different vaccine constructs incorporating these epitopes, controlled by a cytomegalovirus promoter and adjuvanted with human beta defensin 3. The constructs were evaluated using an in vitro model where antigen-expressing monocytic cells were co-cultured with T lymphocytes to measure immune activation. The data reveal antigen-independent stimulation of T lymphocytes, suggesting that the designed vaccine constructs may have limited efficacy in inducing cell-mediated immune responses. These findings provide insights into epitope-based vaccine development and may contribute to future research on Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever immunization strategies.