The discovery is set to aid the development of more potent vaccines to better fight TB, a contagious bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs, and that causes approximately 1.5 million global deaths each year.
Professor Warwick Britton AO, senior study researcher from the Centenary Institute’s Centre for Infectious Diseases and Immunity, explained that mucosal vaccines are administered through the mucous membranes, such as those in the nose or mouth, targeting the lungs directly, a critical site for TB infection.
“Our earlier studies demonstrated the high protective potential of our mucosal TB vaccines in pre-clinical TB infection models,” said Professor Britton.
“In this investigation, we found that our mucosal vaccine initiated a strong immune response against TB by attracting T lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell crucial in fighting infections, into the lungs at the early stages of infection.”
Professor Britton said that the T lymphocytes possess a critical receptor called CXCR3 on their surface, enabling them to detect early signs of TB infection, enhancing the vaccine’s ability to combat TB.
“We need new, effective strategies to prevent the incredible suffering caused by TB. Our findings reinforce our belief that the development of new mucosal vaccines could be a real game-changer in terms of tuberculosis prevention and control,” said Professor Britton.
The study, conducted with mice, has been published in the scientific journal Vaccines.