The NIAID supports research related to basic understanding of immune responses leading to the development of vaccines and novel therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and improvements in public health. This includes support of various reagents facilities, repositories, and databases that provide resources for biomedical researchers. As a part of the research program to improve defense against biological terrorism and emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases, the NIAID seeks to establish a comprehensive database of molecular structures recognized by the immune system. These structures, termed epitopes, attach with lock and key precision to receptors of the immune system, namely B cell antibodies and T cell receptors. The immune system is able to respond to an enormous number of sa epitopes. An unlimited number of antibody epitopes and 5 x 1011 T cell-epitopes are estimated to exist. The number of known epitopes currently available for incorporation into the database is many times smaller, but new epitopes are continually being discovered and large numbers can be identified by current techniques. Creation of a standardized database, with a priority for epitopes associated with bioterrorism agents and emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases, will greatly facilitate utilization, for biodefense purposes, of the growing bank of antibody and T cell epitope information. In addition to enhancing research aimed at understanding epitoep generation and immune recognition, creation of an Immune Epitope Database and accompanying Analysis Resource will expedite the development of improved vaccines and immunotherapeutic agents. The purpose of the project is two-fold:
A. The primary purpose of this project is to design, develop, populate, and maintain a publicly accessible, comprehensive Immune Epitope Database containing linear and conformational antibody epiteops and T cell epitoeps composed of MHC-binding peptides and ligands ((e.g., carbohydrates, lipids, and modified peptides) with a priority for epitopes associated with NIAID category A-C potential bioterrorism pathogens and their toxins (listed at http://http://www.niaid.nih.gov/dmid/biodefense/bandc_priority.htm). The Immune Epitope Database will be freely accessible to the scientific community via Internet website.
B. An Analysis Resource will be developed and maintained by Dr. Sette's group, which will include access to: (1) tools to help researchers locate and analyze information contained in the Immune Epitope Database; (2) other relevant databases and related information; (3) data mining algorithms, mathematical models, and other sophisticated analytical tools to help researchers identify novel antibody and T cell epitopes from genome or protein sequence information, predict the immunogenicity and/or antigenicity of epitopes, and predict host immune responses to particular epitopes; and (4) a quarterly newsletter for the scientific community and an annual compendium of data in the Immune Epitope Database and analytical tools provided at the web site during the previous year. Dr. Sette's team will develop improved algorithms, models, and other analytical tools for use in discovering new knowledge from the database. All of information contained within the Analysis Resource, including analysis tools and algorithms, will be made freely available to the scientific community.