Reverse Vaccinology: Exploiting Genomes for Vaccine Design

Abstract Reverse vaccinology defines the process of antigen discovery starting from genome information. From its first application to Neisseria meningitidis group B, this approach has gradually evolved and is now accepted as a successful method of vaccine discovery, as it can be exploited to develop vaccines against many types of pathogens. Current reverse vaccinology approaches include comparative in silico analyses of multiple genome sequences in order to identify conserved antigens within a heterogeneous pathogen population and identification of antigens that are unique to pathogenic isolates but not present in commensal strains. In addition, transcriptomic and proteomic data sets are integrated into a selection process that yields a short list of candidate antigens to be tested in animal models, thus reducing the costs and time of downstream analyses. In this chapter, we will review the past and present applications of reverse vaccinology and describe the advantages, challenges and opportunities for this evolving discipline in the broader context of vaccine development.