Targeting innate immunity for tuberculosis vaccination

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Vaccinology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Adaptive immune memory in B and T cells is crucial for long-term protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
• Innate immune cells, like myeloid and NK cells, can also develop functional adaptation, termed trained immunity.
• Trained immunity contributes to the beneficial heterologous effects of the bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and its anti-TB activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the role of trained immunity in tuberculosis (TB) vaccine development.
• To investigate the potential of combining innate and adaptive immune memory for future TB vaccines.

Main Methods:

• Review of experimental and epidemiological data on trained immunity.
• Analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying trained immunity in myeloid cells.

Main Results:

• Trained immunity in innate immune cells contributes to BCG vaccine's protective effects against TB.
• Molecular mechanisms involve immunological signals, metabolic rewiring, and epigenetic reprogramming.

Conclusions:

• Trained immunity is a promising avenue for developing next-generation TB vaccines.
• Future TB vaccines could leverage both innate and adaptive immune memory for enhanced efficacy.