Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
2401951 Tuberculosis 2007 9 Pages PDF
Abstract

SummaryEfforts to develop a new, more effective vaccine for tuberculosis have been hampered by a lack of understanding of what constitutes a protective memory immune response. While interferon γ production by CD4+ T cells after vaccination is commonly used as a surrogate of protective memory immunity, its use in this regard appears to have little predictive value. We argue that this is due to the different requirements for interferon γ-mediated protection in the primary response versus the memory recall response. In this review, we present evidence that suggests memory CD4+ T cells can protect against tuberculosis in the absence of interferon γ, and discuss potential mechanisms that may be involved such as IL-17 and regulatory T cells. A comprehensive understanding of the requirements for protective memory immunity to tuberculosis is essential for the development of an effective vaccine.

Related Topics
Life Sciences Immunology and Microbiology Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
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