Mice were protected from tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a large–scale problem affecting all countries and leading to 1.6 million deaths per year. Two billion people worldwide suffer from tuberculosis, more than 50% of cases are recorded in the Asia-Pacific region.

Australian researchers from the Centenary Institute and the University of Sydney have created a synthetic TB vaccine and demonstrated its effectiveness in mouse models.

Two peptides, ESAT6 and TB10.4, commonly present in mycobacteria, were synthesized, which were then firmly coupled with the Pam 2Cys ligand, stimulating the immune response in the lungs, to obtain a self-adjuvant lipopeptide vaccine.

The researchers were able to show that vaccination of the lung mucosa was accompanied by activation of Th17 helper lymphocytes and multifunctional peripheral T cells, which are known to resist Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is important that the new vaccine was able to successfully protect animals from the disease in the airborne pathway of infection.

Currently, there is only one vaccine against tuberculosis – BCG. It effectively reduces the risk of disease in children, but it cannot prevent infection or provide long-term protection in adults, and is also not suitable for people with immune system disorders. A more powerful vaccine is needed to effectively reduce tuberculosis mortality. A new vaccination strategy developed by Australian scientists activates immunity directly in the lungs – the place of the body's first contact with infection. If successful, it is planned to produce a vaccine in the form of a nasal spray, which will provide protection against tuberculosis for life. This result is still far away, the immediate goal is to develop a vaccine in a dosage form suitable for humans.

Article by A. S. Ashhurt et al. Mucosal Vaccination with a Self-Adjuvanted Lipopeptide Is Immunogenic and Protective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis published in the Journal of Medical Chemistry.

Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the Centenary Institute: Exciting new vaccine targets killer disease TB.