Asolina Braun

Abstract Vaccines are effective and much-needed tools against bacterial infection, which mitigate multidrug resistance; however, selection of bacterial antigens that elicit protection and contribute to effective vaccines remains challenging. Here we use immunopeptidomics to identify CD4+ T cell vaccine targets in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a clinically significant, antibiotic-resistant bacterium that is susceptible to T cell-mediated control.

Abstract Psoriasis vulgaris is a T cell-mediated autoimmune skin condition affecting around one in fifty people worldwide. Whilst advanced immunomodulatory therapeutic options have become available in recent years, ongoing disease suppression is still required with no curative treatment available to date. The human leukocyte antigen class I allele HLA-C*06:02 is the main genetic risk determinant of psoriasis.

Abstract Most COVID-19 vaccines elicit immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. However, Spike protein mutations in emerging strains and immune evasion by the SARS-CoV-2 virus demonstrates the need to develop more broadly targeting vaccines. To facilitate this, we use mass spectrometry to identify immunopeptides derived from seven relatively conserved structural and non-structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins (N, E, Nsp1/4/5/8/9).