Antibodies as clinical tools for tuberculosis

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Research

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health challenge, causing significant morbidity and mortality.
• Current TB control strategies are limited by an incomplete understanding of protective immunity, particularly the role of antibodies.
• Existing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches may be less effective in resource-limited settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current development of antibody-based clinical tools for TB.
• To highlight the potential of humoral immunity in TB diagnosis, therapy, and vaccine design.
• To emphasize the need for improved understanding of antibody functions in TB pathogenesis and protection.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on TB serology, antibody-based diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
• Analysis of findings from murine models of TB regarding antibody-mediated protection.
• Discussion of the limitations of current animal models for human TB immune responses.

Main Results:

• TB serology shows promise for diagnosing TB infection and differentiating disease states, though no current tests meet WHO standards.
• Multiplex assays may enhance the sensitivity and specificity of TB serodiagnosis.
• Monoclonal antibody therapies and passive antibody infusions have shown protective effects in animal models, but human clinical utility requires further validation.
• Evidence suggests that some TB vaccines may induce protective antibodies against *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* (Mtb).

Conclusions:

• Antibody-mediated immunity plays a significant, yet underappreciated, role in TB control.
• Further investigation into the functional aspects of antibodies is essential for advancing TB diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.
• Development of better animal models is needed to translate antibody-based interventions from preclinical studies to clinical application.