Maria Silva

Mrs. Maria Silva

Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970, Natal-RN, Brazil

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
21 October 2023 in Viruses
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MSMaria Silva
Maria Silva
DCDaniel Campos
Daniel Campos
Shopnil AkashShopnil Akash
Shopnil Akash
Shahina AkterShahina Akter
Shahina Akter
CLChiuan Yee Leow
Chiuan Yee Leow
JOJonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
MRNA vaccines are a new class of vaccine that can induce potent and specific immune responses against various pathogens. However, the design of mRNA vaccines requires the identification and optimization of suitable antigens, which can be challenging and time consuming. Reverse vaccinology is a computational approach that can accelerate the discovery and development of mRNA vaccines by using genomic and proteomic data of the target pathogen. In this article, we review the advances of reverse vaccinology for mRNA vaccine design against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. We describe the steps of reverse vaccinology and compare the in silico tools used by different studies to design mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. We also discuss the challenges and limitations of reverse vaccinology and suggest future directions for its improvement. We conclude that reverse vaccinology is a promising and powerful approach to designing mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging pathogens.

18 August 2022 in Computational Biology and Chemistry
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
DCDaniel Campos
Daniel Campos
MSMaria Silva
Maria Silva
EBEmmanuel Duarte Barbosa
Emmanuel Duarte Barbosa
CLChiuan Yee Leow
Chiuan Yee Leow
UFUmberto Laino Fulco
Umberto Laino Fulco
JOJonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira

16 February 2024 in International Journal of Surgery
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
MSMaria Silva
Maria Silva
Shopnil AkashShopnil Akash
Shopnil Akash
JAJonas Galileu Ferreira de Aquino
Jonas Galileu Ferreira de Aquino
Shahina AkterShahina Akter
Shahina Akter
UFUmberto Laino Fulco
Umberto Laino Fulco
JOJonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
An abstract is unavailable. This article is available as a PDF only.

5 July 2022 in Immunotherapy
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
DCDaniel Campos
Daniel Campos
MSMaria Silva
Maria Silva
COClaudio Bruno Silva de Oliveira
Claudio Bruno Silva de Oliveira
UFUmberto Laino Fulco
Umberto Laino Fulco
JOJonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira

29 May 2026 in Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MSMaria Silva
Maria Silva
CSCaio Patrício de Souza Sena
Caio Patrício de Souza Sena
DVDavi Serradella Vieira
Davi Serradella Vieira
MZMagdi E. A. Zaki
Magdi E. A. Zaki
LYLeow Chiuan Yee
Leow Chiuan Yee
JRJoão Firmino Rodrigues‐Neto
João Firmino Rodrigues‐Neto
Effective vaccines against Trypanosoma cruzi , the causative agent of Chagas disease, are urgently needed. Here, we report the design and in silico validation of a novel multiepitope vaccine construct targeting the key surface proteins ASP‐2 and gp82. Using a comprehensive immunoinformatics pipeline, we identified and selected 38 potent T‐cell (CTL/HTL) and B‐cell epitopes, ensuring high antigenicity, immunogenicity, and safety. The final chimeric protein, integrated with adjuvants and stabilizing linkers, demonstrated favorable physicochemical properties, high solubility, and was predicted to be non‐allergenic and non‐toxic, with a significant population coverage of approximately 62% in Latin America. Structural modeling and refinement confirmed a stable tertiary structure. Crucially, molecular docking predicted high‐affinity interactions with the immune receptors TLR2 and TLR4 (docking scores: −1360.4 and −1278.7, respectively). The stability and flexibility of these vaccine–receptor complexes were further validated by 300 ns molecular dynamics simulations. Finally, codon optimization and in silico cloning projected high expression potential in an Escherichia coli system. Immune simulations predicted robust responses: Innate (elevated cytokines, dendritic cell activation), humoral (IgG/IgM production), and cellular (CD4+/CD8+/memory T‐cell activation) across simulated doses. These findings strongly support the potential of this vaccine candidate and provide a solid foundation for its further preclinical development against T. cruzi .

1 January 2024 in Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
COClaudio Bruno Silva de Oliveira
Claudio Bruno Silva de Oliveira
JAJoelma Maria de Araújo Andrade
Joelma Maria de Araújo Andrade
Shahina AkterShahina Akter
Shahina Akter
MSMaria Silva
Maria Silva
UFUmberto Laino Fulco
Umberto Laino Fulco
JOJonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira