Vaccination is one of the major strategies available for combating viral infections in humans. However, currently available vaccines are not without pitfalls; they are laborious to produce, could potentially be unsafe, and in the case of the highly variable influenza virus need to be reformulated each season. The use of synthetic peptides thus represents an exciting alternative to traditional vaccines. However, these synthetic peptides are not highly immunogenic without the use of potent adjuvants. The lack of immunogenicity might be addressed by conjugation between T or B cell epitopes with universal or immunodominant T-helper epitopes. The construction of branched peptides, lipidated peptides, or designs combining both of these elements might also enhance the immunogenicity, as they might target Toll-like receptors and/or mimic the 3-dimensional structure of epitopes within the native protein. In this study, a recognized T-B peptide based on the hemagglutinin protein of the A/Puerto Rico/8/34 influenza virus was chosen as a backbone and modified to evaluate if the construction of branched peptides, lipidation, the addition of cysteine residues, or mutations could indeed alter reactivity. Screening the different designs with various antibody binding and cellular assays revealed that combining a branched design with the addition of lipid moieties leads to a greatly enhanced activity as compared to other similar T-B diepitope constructs.

Thesis Erasmus University Rotterdam. / Auteursnaam op omslag: Jacco Boon. ook verschenen in gedrukte versie. With bibliogr., with a summary in Dutch.

Proefschrift Universiteit van Amsterdam. / Met lit. opg. - Met samenvatting in het Nederlands.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, January 2008. / Restricted until 15th January 2009, during which time access is available with the consent of the Head of School.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 83 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-83).

Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, 2008. / Department of Philosophy, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Jason T. Eberl. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-68).

Thesis (MSc (Production Animal Studies)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print format.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf viii-xiii, 3rd gp.) Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf viii-xiii, 3rd gp.) Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xvi, 231 p.; also includes graphics Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-231). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center