Current progress in tuberculosis vaccine development

The tuberculosis vaccine field has blossomed in the past 10 years, with over a hundred new candidates going through animal model testing, and several now entering or approaching clinical trial evaluation. In this brief review the current animal screening models are discussed, as are the various types of new vaccines that have been developed. New approaches, especially in the area of BCG boosting in various prime/boost protocols, are starting to show considerable promise. More sophisticated readouts, including imaging approaches such as magnetic resonance imaging, and better definition of the immunopathology of the lung disease process, should help accelerate vaccine development even further in the next decade.