In Silico Models for B-Cell Epitope Recognition and Signaling

Tremendous technological advances in peptide synthesis and modification in recent years have resolved the major limitations of peptide-based vaccines. B-cell epitopes are major components of these vaccines (besides having other biological applications). Researchers have been developing in silico or computational models for the prediction of both linear and conformational B-cell epitopes, enabling immunologists and clinicians to identify the most promising epitopes for characterization in the laboratory. Attempts are also ongoing in systems biology to delineate the signaling networks in immune cells. Here we present all possible in silico models developed thus far in these areas.