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A
novel strategy for making the only tuberculosis vaccine approved
for humans more effective has provided superior protection against
the deadly disease in a preclinical test, report scientists at The
University of Texas Health Science Center.
The Bacille Calmette-Guerin
(BCG) provides only partial protection against TB in children and
is ineffective in adults. Many attempts have been made to improve
the vaccine by incorporating antigens to induce a stronger immune
response.
However, tuberculosis
and BCG have evasive mechanisms that prevent the development of
stronger immune responses. Scientists at the UT Health Science Center
investigated the methods by which BCG
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evades
immune-stimulating efforts and devised two means to neutralize them.
They used a combination of rapamycin (a drug used for organ transplantation)
and a genetically modified form of Mycobacterium bovis to block BCG's
evasive mechanisms.
This dual approach to
the BCG vaccine was associated with a 10-fold increase in the number
of TB organisms killed and a three fold increase in the duration
of protection in tests with an NIH- approved mouse model.
To learn more about
this subject, please visit:
www.genengnews.com/blog/item.aspx?id=507
www.news-medical.net/?id=46651
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