Frozen Out

Developed just over a hundred years ago, the BCG vaccine is the only vaccine widely-used against tuberculosis, or TB, a disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb, pictured). While highly effective in protecting infants from the most serious forms of disease, BCG is less successful in preventing transmission and lung disease in adults. TB remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide, with most cases in South-East Asia and Africa. New vaccines are being tested, including promising solutions combining antigens, molecules provoking an immune response specifically against Mtb, with adjuvants, that further stimulate the immune system. In recent phase I clinical trials, a freeze-dried vaccine, that would not need to be kept refrigerated, was found to be safe, causing no serious side-effects, and to trigger antibody production. While still in early stages of testing, a more robust vaccine would be hugely beneficial to vaccination campaigns in remote areas.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

Emmanuelle Briolat

Writer

A researcher specialising in visual signals in Lepidoptera, camouflage and the effects of light pollution, Emmanuelle’s writing covers a range of topics, from biomedical research to children’s books about moth defences.

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• Image from the NIH, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Bethesda MD, USA
• Research from Zachary K. Sagawa et al, Access to Advanced Health Institute (formerly Infectious Disease Research Institute), Seattle, WA, USA
• Image in the Public Domain
• Research published in Nature Communications, March 2023