Genes may protect some people from TB infection
(Reuters)
Unusual Little Blurbs
Reuters - A study involving 128 South African families has identified genetic traits that may protect some people from tuberculosis in a finding that could help lead to a new TB vaccine, scientists said on Saturday.
Source: Yahoo! News: Biotechnology News
Cleverly designed tuberculosis vaccine shows promise in mice
A clever new tuberculosis vaccine has shown promise in trials in mice. If it succeeds, it will be the first new TB vaccine in a century. With the rise of multidrug resistant tuberculosis, the difficulty of curing the disease, and the large annual death toll, a successful vaccine could be a huge benefit to public health -- especially in low- and middle income countries. Ref. Source 1l.
Delivering TB vaccine intravenously dramatically improves potency. Worldwide, more people die from tuberculosis than any other infectious disease, even though the vast majority were vaccinated. The vaccine just isn't that reliable. But a new study finds that simply changing the way the vaccine is administered could dramatically boost its protective power. Source 3x.