Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of "Mycobacterium w" against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice immunized with live versus heat-killed M. w by the aerosol or parenteral route.
As the disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis continues to be a burden, there is a concerted effort to find new vaccines to combat this problem. One of the important vaccine strategies is whole bacterial vaccines. This approach relies on multiple antigens and built-in adjuvanticity. Other mycobacterial strains which share cross-reactive antigens with M. tuberculosis have been considered as alternatives to M. bovis for vaccine use. One such strain, "Mycobacterium w", had been evaluated for its immunomodulatory properties in leprosy. A vaccine against leprosy based on killed M. w is approved for human use, where it has resulted in clinical improvement, accelerated bacterial clearance, and increased immune responses to Mycobacterium leprae antigens. M. w shares antigens not only with M. leprae but also with M. tuberculosis, and initial studies have shown that vaccination with killed M. w induces protection against tuberculosis in Mycobacterium bovis BCG responder, as well as BCG nonresponder, strains of mice. Hence, we further studied the protective potential of M. w and the underlying immune responses in the mouse model of tuberculosis. We analyzed the protective efficacy of M. w immunization in both live and killed forms through the parenteral route and by aerosol immunization, compared with that of BCG. Our findings provide evidence that M. w has potential protective efficacy against M. tuberculosis. M. w activates macrophage activity, as well as lymphocytes. M. w immunization by both the parenteral route and aerosol administration gives higher protection than BCG given by the parenteral route in the mouse model of tuberculosis.
Gupta
Ankan
A
National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India.
Geetha
Nishamol
N
Mani
Jiju
J
Upadhyay
Pramod
P
Katoch
V M
VM
Natrajan
M
M
Gupta
U D
UD
Bhaskar
Sangeeta
S
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; C080550:Mycobacterium w vaccine; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated