Vaccine strategies against latent tuberculosis infection

P Andersen - Trends in microbiology, 2007 - cell.com
Trends in microbiology, 2007cell.com
The leading tuberculosis (TB) vaccines currently in clinical trials are all designed as
prophylactic vaccines. Although these vaccines are highly active, they will most probably not
result in sterilizing immunity and, therefore, will not solve the global problem of latent TB. An
attractive strategy is to target the remaining dormant bacteria with vaccines based upon
antigens induced as the bacteria change from active multiplication to non-replicating
dormancy (latency antigens) or during reactivation as dormant bacteria resume active …
The leading tuberculosis (TB) vaccines currently in clinical trials are all designed as prophylactic vaccines. Although these vaccines are highly active, they will most probably not result in sterilizing immunity and, therefore, will not solve the global problem of latent TB. An attractive strategy is to target the remaining dormant bacteria with vaccines based upon antigens induced as the bacteria change from active multiplication to non-replicating dormancy (latency antigens) or during reactivation as dormant bacteria resume active metabolism (resuscitation antigens). These late-stage antigens might have potential as post-exposure vaccines or could form the basis for a multi-stage vaccine strategy, in which they are combined with prophylactic vaccines based on early antigens from replicating bacteria.
cell.com