Researchers have developed a new experimental therapeutic vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), administered via the nose and based on DNA technology, which has shown promising results in animal studies.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, revealed that the vaccine helped accelerate the elimination of TB bacteria, reduce lung inflammation, and prevent the disease from returning after treatment ended, when used in combination with standard anti-tuberculosis drugs.
The researchers explained that the vaccine targets a type of TB bacteria known as "persistent bacteria" or "drug-tolerant bacteria" — bacteria capable of surviving in the body despite antibiotic treatment.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation — one of the leading peer-reviewed scientific journals in the field of medical and clinical research — described the results obtained in mice as an important step toward developing an effective therapeutic vaccine, while noting that further studies are required before moving on to clinical trials in humans.