IMMUNOGENICITY AND PROTECTIVE EFFICACY OF A TUBERCULOSIS DNA VACCINE

Tuberculosis is the most widespread and lethal infectious disease affe cting humans. Immunization of mice with plasmid DNA constructs encodin g one of the secreted components of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, antige n 85 (Ag85), induced substantial humoral and cell-mediated immune resp onses and conferred significant protection against challenge with live M. tuberculosis and M. bovis bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG). These res ults indicate that immunization with DNA encoding a mycobacterial anti gen provides an efficient and simple method for generating protective immunity and that this technique may be useful for defining the protec tive antigens of M. tuberculosis, leading to the development of a more effective vaccine.