Tuberculosis Vaccine Research Could Benefit Seniors and Diabetics
Author: internet - Published 2020-08-10 07:00:00 PM - (156 Reads)
A study in PNAS of older mice with type 2 diabetes has led to promising results for researchers investigating potential new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines, reports Medical Xpress . A potential vaccine, BCG
RD1, was found to be highly protective when administered directly into the lungs of older diabetic mice, which were then exposed to TB. The compound acted not just on T cells but also on the other immune cell subsets, to respond robustly against TB-causing bacteria. "These findings are especially welcome because type 2 diabetes is not just a significant risk factor for TB, it's a risk factor that becomes more widespread every year in our aging population," said James Cook University's Andreas Kupz. He added that comparing the older and younger mice's responses to the vaccine candidate yielded insights into how type 2 diabetes boosts the risk of TB. "It appears that type 2 diabetes negatively impacts on how our immune system senses tuberculosis-causing bacteria in the lung and that vaccination with BCG
RD1 can overcome this defect," Kupz said. "This makes BCG::RD1 a promising candidate for further investigation with a view to use as a vaccine for older people and those with type 2 diabetes."