Study of the necessary immunological effector mechanisms for the development of vaccine against tuberculosis

• Grant number: 96/01433-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: September 01, 1996
• End date: May 31, 2002
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Applied Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Celio Lopes Silva
• Grantee: Celio Lopes Silva
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant(s): 00/04970-4 - Identification and characterisation of murine cytotoxic t cells that kill mycobacterium tuberculosis., AR.EXT; 98/01106-5 - T cell phenotypic associated with persistent protection against tubercolisis after dna or bcg vaccination., AR.EXT; 96/03013-9 - Mycobacterial hsp65 protein originating within the antigen-presenting cells vaccinates mice against tuberculose., AR.EXT

Abstract

There is a major need for a new vaccine against tuberculosis. about 3 million people die from this disease every year, and the infection is increasingly resistant to all of the most useful antimycobacterial drugs. Although BCG vaccination is widely used, it is ineffective in some populations. Until very recently, attempts to develop subunit vaccines that might overcome the deficiencies of BCG have been unsuccessful. Now, most remarkable, we have found that even a single antigenic protein can generate strong protection in mice against challenge with virulent mycobacterium tuberculosis, provided that it is generated endogenously within the antigen-presenting cells. therefore, the research priorities of our group is: (I) to develop a subunit vaccine candidates; (II) to develop live-vectored vaccine candidates (improved BCG); (III) to develop nucleic acid vaccines against tuberculosis; (IV) to develop standard protocols to test the protective capacity of vaccine candidates in appropriate animal models; (V) and to identify immunological parameters which correlate with protective immunity against tuberculosis in humans. (AU)