Recent findings in immunology give tuberculosis vaccines a new boost.
Tuberculosis remains a major health threat, solved by neither chemotherapy nor the current vaccine, BCG. Although a new generation of vaccine candidates is ready for field trials, further improvements will be required. A successful vaccination regime must stimulate memory T cells and, at the same time, avoid exhaustion of memory and suppression by regulatory mechanisms. The most probable scenario is priming with one vaccine candidate followed by boosting with a another vaccine candidate. For clinical trials, biomarkers need to be defined with T cells alternating between lung and periphery as prime indicator cells.
Kaufmann
Stefan H E
SH
Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Department of Immunology, Schumannstrasse 21-22, 10117 Berlin, Germany. kaufmann@mpiib-berlin.mpg.de
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000502:physiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*
D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines