IEDB

The Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (IEDB) is a free, publicly accessible database of experimentally characterized immune epitopes. It collects data on T cell epitopes, B cell epitopes, and MHC binding across pathogens, allergens, and self-antigens.

Data content and structure include epitope sequence, source organism, protein name, disease context, experimental assay details, MHC class I/II or B cell reactivity, allele, host species, and literature citation. The database also includes negative data and antigen processing information to provide a broader view of immune recognition.

Curation and submission are conducted by a dedicated team that gathers information from peer-reviewed literature and direct submissions. Entries are annotated using controlled vocabularies and ontologies to ensure consistency and enable cross-study comparisons across datasets.

Analysis tools and resources within the IEDB support epitope discovery and prediction. Users can perform predictions of MHC binding, assess T cell or B cell epitope likelihood, and examine antigen processing. The platform offers flexible search and filtering by organism, disease, protein, epitope sequence, or MHC allele, as well as batch download options and an API for programmatic access.

Access and impact: The resource is widely used in vaccine research, immunotherapy, and diagnostics. It helps researchers identify candidate epitopes for experimental validation and to understand patterns of immune recognition across different diseases and populations.

Funding and governance: IEDB is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and is maintained through a collaboration of researchers and institutions to maintain a comprehensive, up-to-date repository of immune epitope knowledge.