European researchers identify a mechanism of protection of the new TB vaccine MTBVAC

Researchers at the University of Zaragoza (belonging to CIBERES) and the biopharmaceutical vaccine company Biofabri in Porrino, Spain in partnership with the TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI) are developing a new TB vaccine, MTBVAC. MTBVAC, a live attenuated M.tuberculosis vaccine, has been shown to provide improved protection as compared to BCG and the mechanism behind this greater efficacy has been hypothesized to be due to the ability of MTBVAC to present a wider collection of antigens of M. tuberculosis.

Recent studies show that:

• The immune response to two dominant TB antigens present in MTBVAC but absent in BCG, is associated with the enhanced protection of MTBVAC as compared to BCG.
• The discovery warrants further exploration of this immune response as a potential correlate of protection.

The findings uncover a first mechanism of the improved protection of MTBVAC as compared to BCG, and further exploration of this response as a potential biomarker of protection for MTBVAC is warranted.

To read the full press release, click here.

Publication: Nature Communications 8, Article number: 16085 (2017) doi:10.1038/ncomms16085

Source: TBVI