Article
Immunology
Nicola Campbell, Ayesha J. Verrall, Simon Donkor, Jayne S. Sutherland, Philip C. Hill
Summary: The study found that BCG vaccine protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection decreased with increasing exposure to the pathogen in the Gambia, with the strongest protection observed in the lowest exposure tertile. These findings are consistent with previous results from Indonesia.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Catalina Contreras, Raul Alegria-Moran, Mario Duchens, Pedro Abalos, Renata Lopez, Patricio Retamal
Summary: This study describes the specific and non-specific effects of BCG vaccination in calves from a commercial dairy herd in central Chile. The results show that the BCG vaccine provides a certain level of protection against Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattle and has positive effects on health parameters. However, these non-specific effects may be influenced by factors such as animal breed and season.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Pedro Abalos, Nicolas Valdivieso, Bernat Perez de Val, Martin Vordermeier, Maria Belen Benavides, Raul Alegria-Moran, Karina Saadi, Mathias Wistuba, Camila Ortega, Nicole Sanchez, Patricio Retamal
Summary: This study assessed the efficacy of BCG vaccination for the control of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in dairy calves in high prevalence areas. The results showed a low but significant level of protection provided by the BCG vaccine, with varying levels of protection and duration of immunity observed between trial herds. The findings suggest that BCG vaccination could be used as a complementary tool for disease control in high prevalence areas.
Article
Immunology
Lazaro Moreira Marques-Neto, Monalisa Martins Trentini, Alex Issamu Kanno, Dunia Rodriguez, Luciana Cezar de Cerqueira Leite
Summary: The rBCG-LTAK63 vaccine induces a long-term polyfunctional Th1/Th17 response and an increased presence of memory T cells, leading to improved protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in mice. This enhanced immune response may contribute to the long-term protection provided by the vaccine.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Odir Antonio Dellagostin, Sibele Borsuk, Thais Larre Oliveira, Fabiana Kommling Seixas
Summary: This review explores the strategies for developing and using auxotrophic BCG strains, which can serve as a model for studying M. tuberculosis and potentially provide a stable and effective alternative to BCG, as well as a vector for recombinant live vaccines.
Article
Immunology
Patrice A. Mawa, Mateusz Hasso-Agopsowicz, Lawrence Lubyayi, Grace Nabakooza, Marjorie Nakibuule, Rose Blitz, Li Dun, Abha Govind, Pontiano Kaleebu, Emily L. Webb, Alison M. Elliott, Hazel M. Dockrell, Stephen Cose, Steven G. Smith
Summary: BCG vaccination induces similar immune responses to PPD but different responses to ESAT6/CFP10 in infants from Uganda and the UK. Maternal LTBI and infant exposure or infection with mycobacteria do not impact the immune response to BCG. Global differences in immune response to BCG are likely due to other factors.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cristian Melgarejo, Carles Planas, Alex Cobos, Claudia Arrieta-Villegas, Iker A. Sevilla, Javier Bezos, Xavier Moll, Yvonne Espada, Joseba M. Garrido, Mariano Domingo, Enric Vidal, Bernat Perez de Val
Summary: This study assessed the efficacy of a heat-inactivated Mycobacterium caprae (HIMC) vaccine in goats challenged with the same strain of M. caprae. The findings showed that vaccinated goats had reduced lung lesions and bacterial load compared to unvaccinated controls, indicating enhanced protection against M. caprae challenge.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Esther Broset, Juan Calvet Seral, Carmen Arnal, Santiago Uranga, Alex Kanno, Luciana C. C. Leite, Carlos Martin, Jesus Gonzalo-Asensio
Summary: Live vaccines like MTBVAC have been developed as genetic platforms for antigen delivery, aiming to improve protection against various pathogens. By optimizing genetic components and signal sequences, DTP antigens can be successfully expressed and secreted by MTBVAC, leading to specific antibody responses in vaccinated animals.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Alex J. Warr, Christine Anterasian, Javeed A. Shah, Stephen C. De Rosa, Felicia K. Nguyen, Elizabeth Maleche-Obimbo, Lisa M. Cranmer, Daniel Matemo, Jerphason Mecha, John Kinuthia, Sylvia M. LaCourse, Grace C. John-Stewart, Thomas R. Hawn
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between immune cell responses after BCG vaccination and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection in HIV-exposed but uninfected infants, as well as their impact on tuberculin skin test (TST) induration. The results show that a monofunctional TNF+ CD4+ effector memory T-cell response at 6-10 weeks of age is associated with Mtb infection at 14 months, while mycobacterial antigen-specific polyfunctional effector memory Th1 responses at 6-10 weeks correlate positively with TST induration in infants without evidence of Mtb infection, which is attenuated by INH therapy.
Article
Immunology
Dorcas O. Owusu, Ernest Adankwah, Wilfred Aniagyei, Isaac Acheampong, Difery Minadzi, Augustine Yeboah, Joseph F. Arthur, Millicent Lamptey, Monika M. Vivekanandan, Mohammed K. Abass, Francis Kumbel, Francis Osei-Yeboah, Amidu Gawusu, Linda Batsa Debrah, Alexander Debrah, Ertan Mayatepek, Julia Seyfarth, Richard O. Phillips, Marc Jacobsen
Summary: In Nigeria, BCG vaccination leads to immune conversion and changes in the phenotype of tuberculosis-specific T cells. A study comparing BCG-vaccinated and non-vaccinated infants showed that BCG vaccination causes delayed immune conversion and differences in cell phenotype among tuberculosis patients.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Christoph Lange, Peter Aaby, Marcel A. Behr, Peter R. Donald, Stefan H. E. Kaufmann, Mihai G. Netea, Anna M. Mandalakas
Summary: The BCG vaccine, initially designed for cattle, has saved many lives since its first administration to a newborn in Paris in 1921. While providing strong protection against miliary and meningeal tuberculosis in children, it is less effective in preventing pulmonary tuberculosis in adults. It has also shown non-specific benefits against non-tuberculous infections and immunotherapeutic benefits in certain cancers.
LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Taif Shah, Zahir Shah, Nafeesa Yasmeen, Zulqarnain Baloch, Xueshan Xia
Summary: This article examines the pathogenesis and impact of coinfection between COVID-19 and TB, highlighting the diagnostic challenges associated with this dual infection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Ana B. Enriquez, Angelo Izzo, Shannon M. Miller, Erica L. Stewart, Robert N. Mahon, Daniel J. Frank, Jay T. Evans, Jyothi Rengarajan, James A. Triccas
Summary: Tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death worldwide, with recent advancements in vaccine research showing potential for more effective vaccines in the future. More research and development are needed to improve TB vaccine efficacy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Giovanni Ghielmetti, Anne M. Kupca, Matthias Hanczaruk, Ute Friedel, Hubert Weinberger, Sandra Revilla-Fernandez, Erwin Hofer, Julia M. Riehm, Roger Stephan, Walter Glawischnig
Summary: This article reports three cases of M. microti infections in free-ranging red deer, with manifestations including pyogranulomatous pleuropneumonia and granulomas on the pericardium. Phylogenetic analysis revealed independent infection events without host-adapted genotype. Awareness of the pathogenicity and zoonotic potential of M. microti is important for personnel involved in bovine tuberculosis-monitoring programs.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Ruchi Jain Dey, Bappaditya Dey, Melanie Harriff, Elizabeth T. Canfield, David M. Lewinsohn, William R. Bishai
Summary: Mucosa-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells play a critical role in protecting the host against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Overexpression of key genes in the riboflavin-biosynthetic pathway enhances MAIT cell activation and attenuates M. tuberculosis virulence. Increased MAIT cell abundance also results in better control of M. tuberculosis infection. Endogenously adjuvanted BCG vaccine with MR1 ligands can augment MAIT cell activation. These findings provide important insights into the role of the riboflavin-biosynthetic pathway, MAIT cell activation, M. tuberculosis virulence, and host immunity against TB.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Raquel Tarancon, Elena Mata, Santiago Uranga, Ana Belen Gomez, Dessislava Marinova, Isabel Otal, Carlos Martin, Nacho Aguilo
Summary: Therapeutic delivery of live tuberculosis vaccines BCG and MTBVAC can modulate the lung immune environment and efficiently reverse established asthma in mice. This treatment approach affects macrophage phenotype and induces a strong Th1 response, and is effective even in the scenario of chronic asthma.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sandra Perez-Rodriguez, Jose Manuel Garcia-Aznar, Jesus Gonzalo-Asensio
Summary: Understanding bacterial responses in different microenvironments is crucial for studying diseases, biofilm formation, and antimicrobial resistance. Microfluidics technology allows precise control of test conditions at a micrometric scale, enabling the simulation of physiological 3D environments.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Irene Perez, Elena Campos-Pardos, Caridad Diaz, Santiago Uranga, Fadel Sayes, Francisca Vicente, Nacho Aguilo, Roland Brosch, Carlos Martin, Jesus Gonzalo-Asensio
Summary: Cyclic (di)nucleotides act as universal second messengers and are produced by several pathogens. In this study, the researchers investigated the role of c-di-AMP in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its contribution to tuberculosis vaccines. They found that c-di-AMP synthesis is regulated by the M. tuberculosis PhoPR virulence system and that MTBVAC, a live attenuated tuberculosis vaccine, produces higher levels of c-di-AMP compared to wild-type M. tuberculosis or the current BCG vaccine. They also discovered that c-di-AMP levels are dependent on the growth phase and medium during in vitro cultivation of M. tuberculosis. Furthermore, they demonstrated that increasing c-di-AMP levels correlated with a safer profile of tuberculosis vaccines in an immunodeficient mouse model.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Lazaro Garcia-Morales, Patricia Del Portillo, Juan M. Anzola, Miguel A. Ares, Addy C. Helguera-Repetto, Jorge F. Cerna-Cortes, Alfonso Mendez-Tenorio, Maria J. Garcia, Isabel Otal, Carlos Martin, Jorge A. Gonzalez-y-Merchand, Sandra Rivera-Gutierrez
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of a fatty acid/cholesterol mixture on a mutant strain of Mycobacterium bovis BCG and found that the mutant strain was more adapted to persist inside host cells for a longer period of time. This adaptation may be related to the gene expression and cell envelope structure of the Mycobacterium in a lipid environment.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Eduardo Moreo, Santiago Uranga, Ana Pico, Ana Belen Gomez, Denise Nardelli-Haefliger, Carlos del Fresno, Ingrid Murillo, Eugenia Puentes, Esteban Rodriguez, Mar Vales-Gomez, Julian Pardo, David Sancho, Carlos Martin, Nacho Aguilo
Summary: By comparing the antitumoral efficacy of BCG and MTBVAC in a mouse model, this study found that MTBVAC can enhance bladder colonization by expressing specific absent proteins and stimulate cytotoxic responses to improve immune response against tumor antigens. Furthermore, intravesical bacterial immunotherapy using MTBVAC can lead to complete eradication of bladder tumors, either as a monotherapy or in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Masanori Asai, Yanwen Li, John Spiropoulos, William Cooley, David J. Everest, Sharon L. Kendall, Carlos Martin, Brian D. Robertson, Paul R. Langford, Sandra M. Newton
Summary: This study demonstrates the use of Galleria mellonella larvae as a low-cost, rapid, and ethically more acceptable model for tuberculosis research. The Gm-MTB model can mimic key aspects of the disease and can be used for anti-TB drug screening and comparing virulence of different strains.
Review
Immunology
Kathryn C. Rahlwes, Beatriz R. S. Dias, Priscila C. Campos, Samuel Alvarez-Arguedas, Michael U. Shiloh
Summary: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis, posing one of the greatest threats to global health. By utilizing its arsenal of virulence factors, Mtb invades the airway, evades the host immune response, and establishes a niche for survival. Understanding the interplay between Mtb virulence factors and host defenses is crucial for developing effective vaccines and therapeutics.
Article
Oncology
Gloria Esteso, Maria Jose Felgueres, Alvaro F. Garcia-Jimenez, Christina Reyburn-Vales, Alberto Benguria, Enrique Vazquez, Hugh T. Reyburn, Nacho Aguilo, Carlos Martin, Eugenia Puentes, Ingrid Murillo, Esteban Rodriguez, Mar Vales-Gomez
Summary: In this study, it was found that stimulation with iBCG can expand oligoclonal gamma delta T-cells and anti-tumor NK cells in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These cells exhibited cytotoxicity and can inhibit the growth of bladder cancer. The expansion of these cells in vitro may provide a new approach for cell-based immunotherapy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eduardo Moreo, Aitor Jarit-Cabanillas, Inaki Robles-Vera, Santiago Uranga, Claudia Guerrero, Ana Belen Gomez, Pablo Mata-Martinez, Luna Minute, Miguel Araujo-Voces, Maria Jose Felgueres, Gloria Esteso, Iratxe Uranga-Murillo, Maykel Arias, Julian Pardo, Carlos Martin, Mar Vales-Gomez, Carlos del Fresno, David Sancho, Nacho Aguilo
Summary: Intravenous administration of BCG shows potential in the treatment of lung tumors, reducing tumor growth and enhancing immune responses. It also enhances the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Wladimir Malaga, Delphine Payros, Eva Meunier, Wafa Frigui, Fadel Sayes, Alexandre Pawlik, Mickael Orgeur, Celine Berrone, Flavie Moreau, Serge Mazeres, Jesus Gonzalo-Asensio, David Rengel, Carlos Martin, Catherine Astarie-Dequeker, Lionel Mourey, Roland Brosch, Christophe Guilhot
Summary: In this study, the authors found that the sensor protein PhoPR in Mycobacterium canettii strains has amino acid substitutions that affect its activity compared to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These mutations impact the production and secretion of virulence factors, enhancing the capacity of the strains to colonize and transmit within the host. Therefore, these findings support the hypothesis that variants of the PhoPR regulatory system are key evolutionary adaptations for enhancing the epidemic capacity of tuberculosis.
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Eduardo Moreo Lapieza, Santiago Uranga, Carlos Martin, Nacho Aguilo
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Esther Broset, Juan Calvet Seral, Carmen Arnal, Santiago Uranga, Alex Kanno, Luciana C. C. Leite, Carlos Martin, Jesus Gonzalo-Asensio
Summary: Live vaccines like MTBVAC have been developed as genetic platforms for antigen delivery, aiming to improve protection against various pathogens. By optimizing genetic components and signal sequences, DTP antigens can be successfully expressed and secreted by MTBVAC, leading to specific antibody responses in vaccinated animals.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2021)
