Biotechnology in the Development of New Vaccines and Diagnostic Reagents Against Tuberculosis

Author: Mustafa A.S.

Source: Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Volume 2, Number 2, June 2001 , pp. 157-173(17)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease of global concern. About one third of the world population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Every year, approximately 8 million people get the disease and 2 million die of TB. The currently available vaccine against TB is the attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis, Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), which has failed to provide consistent protection in different parts of the world. The commonly used diagnostic reagent for TB is the purified protein derivative (PPD) of M. tuberculosis, which is nonspecific because of the presence of antigens crossreactive with BCG and environmental mycobacteria. Thus there is a need to identify M. tuberculosis antigens as candidates for new protective vaccines and specific diagnostic reagents against TB. By using the techniques of recombinant DNA, synthetic peptides, antigen-specific antibodies and T cells etc., several major antigens of M. tuberculosis have been identified, e.g. heat shock protein (hsp)60, hsp70, Ag85, ESAT-6 and CFP10 etc. These antigens have shown promise as new candidate vaccines and/or diagnostic reagents against TB. In addition, recent comparisons of the genome sequence of M. tuberculosis with BCG and other mycobacteria have unraveled M. tuberculosis specific regions and genes. Expression and immunological evaluation of these regions and genes can potentially identify most of the antigens of M. tuberculosis important for developing new vaccines and specific diagnostic reagents against TB. Moreover, advances in identification of proper adjuvant and delivery systems can potentially overcome the problem of poor immunogenicity / short-lived immunity associated with protein and peptide based vaccines. In conclusion, the advances in biotechnology are contributing significantly in the process of developing new protective vaccines and diagnostic reagents against TB.

Keywords: Vaccines; Tuberculosis; Mycobacterium bovis; (BCG); purified protein derivative (PPD); acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); ANTIGENS; SUBUNIT VACCINES; DNA VACCINES

Language: English

Document Type: Review article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389201013378707

Publication date: 2001-06-01

• Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology aims to cover all the latest and outstanding developments in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. Each issue of the journal contains a series of timely in-depth reviews written by leaders in the field covering a range of current topics in both pre-clinical and clinical areas of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is an essential journal for academic, clinical, government and pharmaceutical scientists who wish to be kept informed and up-to-date with the latest and most important developments.

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