High Throughput T Epitope Mapping and Vaccine Development

Figure 1

Conventional layout of peptide panels for T epitope mapping. In this example of a panel of 100 peptides, peptides can be tested individually in one step or as pools in two steps. Peptide 7 in bold represents the immunodominant peptide. Response to a positive pool can be further deconvoluted by testing the individual peptides encompassed by the stimulatory pool. The one step approach is simpler, but it requires more cells. The two-step approach requires fewer cells, but cells are needed at two different times. Thus, the cases in which a small fraction of pools are positive can take advantage of this approach, while in the worst case, in which the majority of the pools are positive and need to be individually deconvoluted, the two-step approach provides no significant advantage.