title: Expanding the antigenic repertoire of BCG improves protective efficacy against aerosol Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
abstract: We have developed a strain of the tuberculosis vaccine Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) that secretes high levels of a fusion protein comprising the immunodominant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ag85B and ESAT-6 (BCG85B-ES). Mice vaccinated with BCG85B-ES were significantly better protected in the lung against aerosol infection with virulent M. tuberculosis than animals immunized with control BCG. The growth characteristic of BCG85B-ES in host tissue was identical to control BCG, suggesting the improved protective efficacy was directly related to the expression of the Ag85B-ESAT-6 fusion protein. These results suggest that BCG85B-ES warrants further investigation to determine its suitability to control tuberculosis in humans.
authors.affiliation: Mycobacterial Research Group, Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology, Locked Bag No. 6, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia.
authors.forename: Umaimainthan
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Palendira
authors.forename: Joanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Spratt
authors.forename: Warwick J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Triccas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; C072681:Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens