title: Roles of Mucosal Immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection.
abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is one of the world's leading infectious causes of morbidity and mortality. As a mucosal-transmitted pathogen, Mtb infects humans and animals mainly through the mucosal tissue of the respiratory tract. Apart from providing a physical barrier against the invasion of pathogen, the major function of the respiratory mucosa may be to serve as the inductive sites to initiate mucosal immune responses and sequentially provide the first line of defense for the host to defend against this pathogen. A large body of studies in the animals and humans have demonstrated that the mucosal immune system, rather than the systemic immune system, plays fundamental roles in the host's defense against Mtb infection. Therefore, the development of new vaccines and novel delivery routes capable of directly inducing respiratory mucosal immunity is emphasized for achieving enhanced protection from Mtb infection. In this paper, we outline the current state of knowledge regarding the mucosal immunity against Mtb infection, including the development of TB vaccines, and respiratory delivery routes to enhance mucosal immunity are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Conservation and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in the Western, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China ; College of Life Science, Ningxia University, 539 W. Helanshan Road, Xixia District, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China.
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guangcun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yujiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang