T-cell epitope prediction: rescaling can mask biological variation between MHC molecules.

ABSTRACT: Theoretical methods for predicting CD8+ T-cell epitopes are an important tool in vaccine design and for enhancing our understanding of the cellular immune system. The most popular methods currently available produce binding affinity predictions across a range of MHC molecules. In comparing results between these MHC molecules, it is common practice to apply a normalization procedure known as rescaling, to correct for possible discrepancies between the allelic predictors. Using two of the most popular prediction software packages, NetCTL and NetMHC, we tested the hypothesis that rescaling removes genuine biological variation from the predicted affinities when comparing predictions across a number of MHC molecules. We found that removing the condition of rescaling improved the prediction soft

SUBMITTER: MacNamara A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2650421 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature