title: Vaccine development. On relating immunology to the Third World: some studies on leprosy.
abstract: Leprosy is of interest to immunologists because the varied clinical manifestations of the disease correlate closely with the immunological spectrum. Resistance to infection is dependent on appropriate cell-mediated immunity, but patients with the lepromatous form fail to respond to antigens of M. leprae. In vitro studies have revealed the existence of T-suppressor cells of the phenotype CD8+, CD3+, HLA-DR+, FcR+, 9.3-, which are restricted by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens. Several new candidate vaccines against leprosy have been effective in breaking immunological unresponsiveness and engendering cell-mediated immunity in lepromatous leprosy patients, including the combination of BCG+ killed M. leprae. Because BCG has unique adjuvant properties, we have begun to use molecular genetic approaches to develop BCG into a multivaccine vehicle capable of immunizing simultaneously against several pathogens. Both phage-based and plasmid-based strategies have been successfully developed for introducing selectable markers into BCG for the first time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York 10461.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salgame
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mehra
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Modlin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Convit
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lugozi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Snapper
mesh_terms: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology*; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines