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21 Feb, 2025
A new vaccine that boosts immunity against tuberculosis (TB) has been shown to be effective in pioneering pre-clinical trials, as part of a successful collaboration between three leading Australian research institutions.
A study into the vaccine’s effectiveness, published in eBioMedicine, was led by experts from the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute at University of Sydney, the Centenary Institute and the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science (MIPS) at Monash University.
Currently the only approved vaccine for TB is the century-old Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, which is widely used despite its effectiveness in adults being inconsistent.
The study found that the new mRNA vaccine was successful in triggering an immune defence response that helped to reduce TB numbers in infected mice. In addition, the researchers discovered that for mice that had received the BCG vaccine, a booster dose of the new mRNA vaccine significantly improved their long-term protection.
The vaccine used mRNA technology, which is where genetic instructions are used to trigger an immune response in the body, as opposed to using a weakened or deadened version of a virus.
Senior author Professor Jamie Triccas, Deputy Director of the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, said: “Our findings demonstrate that an mRNA vaccine can induce potent, pathogen-specific immune responses that target TB, a disease that has long evaded effective vaccine development. This represents a major advance in TB vaccine research and provides a strong rationale for further clinical development.”
Professor Jamie Triccas
TB is the leading cause of infectious mortality worldwide, responsible for approximately 1.3 million deaths annually, with a particular prevalence in countries such as India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Pakistan.
The researchers hope that the mRNA vaccine will ultimately be more effective and consistent than the BCG when used in humans. This is because, unlike protein-based or live-attenuated vaccines (those that contain a weakened version of a pathogen), mRNA vaccines allow for rapid adaptation, making them an attractive option for global TB control efforts.