Tools for Vaccine Design: Prediction and Validation of Highly Immunogenic and Conserved Class II Epitopes and Development of Epitope‐Driven Vaccines

Two types of T cells act as the adaptive immune system’s second line of defense after the antibody. Class-I-restricted cytotoxic T cells (CD8+ CTL) directly engage and attack infected host cells. Class-II-restricted T helper (CD4+ Th) cells mediate the growth and differentiation of both T-effector cells and antibody-producing B lymphocytes. Both Class I and Class II-restricted T cells carry out their roles in response to T-cell epitopes, small linear peptides derived from protein antigens. These peptides are displayed on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APC) by multiple alleles of