From antigens to immune responses: Shaping the future of TB detection and prevention

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health challenge due to various factors, including delayed diagnoses leading to the spread of infection, limited efficacy of current vaccination strategies, and emergence of drug-resistant strains. Here, we explore the significance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific antigens to overcome these challenges.

A narrative review exploring the dynamics of Mtb-specific antigens and the related T cell immune responses across the TB spectrum.

A variety of antigens are expressed at different stages of Mtb infection, driving its diverse antigenic landscape and associated T cell functional heterogeneity. Recent advances in high-coverage genomic and proteomic approaches may lead to the identification and characterization of antigens/epitopes within the context of TB.

Factors such as magnitude of memory response, cytokine profile, immunodominance, and conservation of epitopes should be emphasized as crucial parameters in assessing the potential efficacy of these antigens in diagnostics or vaccine research. Recognizing the antigenic repertoire of Mtb changes with the infection stage, it is important to assess the availability of different subsets of Mtb antigens across the spectrum of infection for more precise disease classifications. Targeting specific antigens holds promise as a pathway for developing specific immunological biomarkers to predict TB reactivation in populations.