NIAID Awards $30 Million to Develop Tuberculosis Vaccine

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has awarded $30 million in first-year funding to establish new centers for immunology research to accelerate progress in tuberculosis (TB) vaccine development. The awards establish and provide up to seven years of support for three Immune Mechanisms of Protection Against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (IMPAc-TB) Centers to elucidate the immune responses needed to protect against Mtb infection. The IMPAc-TB program aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the immune responses required to prevent initial infection with Mtb, establishment of latent infection and transition to active TB disease. The existing Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccines provide some protection for infants and young children against disseminated TB disease in which the infection has spread to multiple organs. However, they do not prevent lung infections or provide long-term protection against Mtb infection.