Vaccines against Tuberculosis: Where Are We Now?

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death globally, particularly in low-income countries.
• Current TB treatment relies on BCG vaccination, but drug inefficacy, lack of advanced vaccines, misdiagnosis, and social stigma hinder progress.
• The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB necessitates novel vaccine development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the development and current status of vaccines against Tuberculosis (TB).
• To explore the potential of advanced vaccine candidates in TB treatment.
• To highlight the need for novel vaccines to combat drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on TB vaccine development strategies.
• Analysis of various vaccine approaches including protein subunit, viral vector, whole-cell, and recombinant BCG (rBCG) vaccines.
• Examination of TB vaccine candidates currently in clinical trials.

Main Results:

• Approximately 19 TB vaccine candidates are in various stages of clinical trials.
• Various strategies are being employed, including recombinant BCG (rBCG) expressing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) proteins.
• Advanced vaccines generating heterologous immune responses show promise for long-lasting immunity.

Conclusions:

• Novel TB vaccine development is critical to overcome treatment challenges posed by drug resistance.
• Advanced vaccines are expected to provide enhanced protection against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB.
• Continued identification and development of innovative vaccine candidates are essential to bolster the human immune response against TB.