Candidate for new TB vaccine found
Friday 18th March 2011
A protein secreted by tuberculosis (TB) bacteria could be the key to a new vaccine, according to a new report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Known as EspC, the protein was found to trigger a stronger immune response in people with TB than any other known molecule, and could be deployed in place of the currently-used BCG vaccine.
The senior author of the report, Professor Ajit Lalvani of the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London, said there are still nine million new cases of TB annually.
"Surprisingly, our results also show that this molecule could underpin next-generation diagnostic blood tests that can rapidly detect latent TB infection," he added.
This is because the immune response to the protein is seen in TB-infected people, but not those who have had a BCG vaccine.
The news comes as reports indicate a new strain of drug-resistant TB in Europe.
Written by Mathew Horton
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