BCG vaccination in the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) infected by the pulmonary route with virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The Neuroprotective Role of BCG Vaccine in Movement Disorders: A Review

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the first developed vaccine to prevent tuberculosis (TB) and is the world's most widely used vaccine. It has a reconcilable defense in opposition to tuberculosis, meningitis, and miliary disease in children but changeable protection against pulmonary TB. Immune activation is responsible for regulating neural development by activating it. The effect of the BCG vaccine on neuronal disorders due to subordinate immune provocation is useful. BCG vaccine can prevent neuronal degeneration in different neurological disorders by provoking auto-reactive T-cells. In the case of TB, CD4+ T-cells effectively protect the immune response by protecting the central defense. Because of the preceding fact, BCG induces protection by creating precise T-cells like CD4+ T-cells and CD8+ T-cells. Hence, vaccination-induced protection generates specific T-cells and CD4+ T-cells, and CD8+ T-cells. The BCG vaccine may have an essential effect on motor disorders and play a crucial role in neuroprotective management. The present review describes how the BCG vaccine might be interrelated with motor disorders and play a key role in such diseases.

Animal Models of Tuberculosis Vaccine Research: An Important Component in the Fight against Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the top ten infectious diseases worldwide, and is the leading cause of morbidity from a single infectious agent. M. tuberculosis can cause infection in several species of animals in addition to humans as the natural hosts. Although animal models of TB disease cannot completely simulate the occurrence and development of human TB, they play an important role in studying the pathogenesis, immune responses, and pathological changes as well as for vaccine research. This review summarizes the commonly employed animal models, including mouse, guinea pig, rabbit, rat, goat, cattle, and nonhuman primates, and their characteristics as used in TB vaccine research, and provides a basis for selecting appropriate animal models according to specific research needs. Furthermore, some of the newest animal models used for TB vaccine research (such as humanized animal models, zebrafish, Drosophila, and amoeba) are introduced, and their characteristics and research progress are discussed.

Preclinical Efficacy Testing of New Drug Candidates

This is a review of the preclinical efficacy testing of new antituberculosis drug candidates. It describes existing dynamic in vitro and in vivo models of antituberculosis chemotherapy and their utility in preclinical evaluations of promising new drugs and combination regimens, with an effort to highlight recent developments. Emphasis is given to the integration of quantitative pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analyses and the impact of lesion pathology on drug efficacy. Discussion also includes in vivo models of chemotherapy of latent tuberculosis infection.

Experimental animal modelling for TB vaccine development

Research for a novel vaccine to prevent tuberculosis is an urgent medical need. The current vaccine, BCG, has demonstrated a non-homogenous efficacy in humans, but still is the gold standard to be improved upon. In general, the main indicator for testing the potency of new candidates in animal models is the reduction of the bacillary load in the lungs at the acute phase of the infection. Usually, this reduction is similar to that induced by BCG, although in some cases a weak but significant improvement can be detected, but none of candidates are able to prevent establishment of infection. The main characteristics of several laboratory animals are reviewed, reflecting that none are able to simulate the whole characteristics of human tuberculosis. As, so far, no surrogate of protection has been found, it is important to test new candidates in several models in order to generate convincing evidence of efficacy that might be better than that of BCG in humans. It is also important to investigate the use of "in silico" and "ex vivo" models to better understand experimental data and also to try to replace, or at least reduce and refine experimental models in animals.