Better vaccines for tuberculosis could save millions of lives

Cases of one of the world’s deadliest diseases—tuberculosis—are rising at an alarming rate, despite widespread vaccination. Reasons for the ineffectiveness of the vaccine, especially in regions where this infectious disease is endemic, as well as arguments for replacing the existing vaccine with novel synthetic vaccines, are presented in a review published online August 28th in Trends in Molecular Medicine. “Tuberculosis is a global health threat, and it is a highly communicable disease that may influence practically anyone and everyone,” says senior author Javed Agrewala of the CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology in Chandigarh, India. “There is a serious need and challenge for the scientific community to develop alternative vaccination approaches for the control of the disease.” Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). About one third of the world’s population is infected with Mtb, which causes about two million deaths each year. Vaccines may be the best strategy for controlling...