B-cell receptors recognizing DIII of Dengue virus envelope protein serotypes 1–4 and T-cell receptors recognizing Dengue virus capsid protein serotypes 1–4

The target refers to the specific subset of the adaptive immune system, comprising B-cell receptors (BCRs) and T-cell receptors (TCRs), that recognize the structural proteins of the Dengue virus (DENV) across all four serotypes (DENV-1–4) [20, 21]. BCRs are targeted to recognize Domain III (DIII) of the envelope (E) protein, which is the primary site for neutralizing antibodies because it contains the receptor-binding site for host cell entry [21, 28]. Simultaneously, TCRs are targeted to recognize the viral capsid (C) protein, which is highly conserved across serotypes and contains multiple T-cell epitopes (CD4+ and CD8+), crucial for clearing infected cells and providing long-term cellular immunity [28, 30]. This dual-targeting approach is the foundation of the DIII-C recombinant protein vaccine candidate, which aims to provide balanced, tetravalent protection [22, 28]. By engaging both arms of the adaptive immune system, the strategy seeks to achieve robust immunity while minimizing the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), a major challenge in Dengue vaccine development [28, 30]. The interaction with these receptors is typically achieved through recombinant fusion proteins or aggregates that present the DIII and Capsid antigens in an immunogenic format [28].

Other names

DIII-C vaccine targetDengue DIII-Capsid immune receptorsDENV DIII-C receptorsTetra DIIIC target

Activation of B-cell receptors (BCRs) by Domain III (DIII) of the envelope protein to induce neutralizing antibodies and activation of T-cell receptors (TCRs) by Capsid (C) protein epitopes to induce cellular immunity.