Lab in Biotechnology and Biosignal Transduction, Department of Orthodontics, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, 77, Tamil Nadu, India.
PG & Research Department of Biotechnology & Microbiology, National College Autonomous, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Indian J Tuberc. 2024 Oct;71(4):453-459. doi: 10.1016/j.ijtb.2023.12.002. Epub 2023 Dec 23.
The BCG vaccine, Bacille Calmette Guerin, holds the distinction of being the most widely administered vaccine. Remarkably, a century has passed since its discovery; however, puzzlingly, questions persist regarding the effectiveness of the immune response it triggers. After years of diligent observation, it has been deduced that BCG imparts immunity primarily to a specific age group, namely children. This prompts a significant query: the rationale behind BCG's limited efficacy against TB in particular age groups and populations remains elusive. Beyond vaccinations, drug therapy has emerged as an alternative route for TB prevention. Nonetheless, this approach faces challenges in the contemporary landscape, marked by the emergence of new instances of MDR-TB and XDR-TB, compounded by the financial burden of treatment. It's noteworthy that BCG remains the sole WHO-approved vaccine for TB. This comprehensive review delves into several aspects, encompassing the immune response during infection, the shortcomings of BCG in conferring immunity, and the various factors contributing to its limitations. Within this discourse, we explore potential explanations for the observed deficiencies of the BCG vaccine and consider how these insights could catalyze the development of future vaccines. The current landscape of novel vaccine development for TB is illuminated, including a spotlight on the latest vaccine candidates.
BCG 疫苗，卡介苗，是应用最广泛的疫苗。值得注意的是，自发现以来已经过去了一个世纪；然而，令人困惑的是，关于它引发的免疫反应的有效性仍然存在疑问。经过多年的勤奋观察，人们推断 BCG 主要为特定年龄组（即儿童）提供免疫力。这引发了一个重要的问题：BCG 对特定年龄组和人群的结核病的疗效有限的原因仍然难以捉摸。除了疫苗接种，药物治疗已成为预防结核病的另一种途径。然而，在当代环境下，这种方法面临着新的耐多药结核病和广泛耐药结核病的出现以及治疗费用的负担等挑战。值得注意的是，BCG 仍然是世界卫生组织唯一批准用于结核病的疫苗。这篇全面的综述探讨了几个方面，包括感染期间的免疫反应、BCG 在赋予免疫方面的缺陷以及导致其局限性的各种因素。在这篇文章中，我们探讨了观察到的 BCG 疫苗缺陷的可能解释，并考虑了这些见解如何促进未来疫苗的发展。还阐述了结核病新型疫苗开发的现状，包括对最新疫苗候选物的关注。
