COVIDep platform for real-time reporting of vaccine target recommendations for SARS-CoV-2: Description and connections with COVID-19 immune responses and preclinical vaccine trials

We introduce COVIDep ( <ext-link xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="https://COVIDep.ust.hk">https://COVIDep.ust.hk</ext-link> ), a web-based platform that provides immune target recommendations for guiding SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development. COVIDep implements a protocol that pools together publicly-available genetic data for SARS-CoV-2 and epitope data for SARS-CoV to identify B cell and T cell epitopes that present potential immune targets for SARS-CoV-2. Correspondences between outputs of COVIDep and immune responses recorded in COVID-19 patients and preclinical vaccine trials are also indicated. The platform is user-friendly, flexible, and based on up-to-date data. It may help guide vaccine designs and associated experimental studies for SARS-CoV-2.