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Aamand T, Fisker AB, Correia C, Fernandes M, Clipet-Jensen C, Thysen SM. Do Pentavalent (DTwP-Hib-HBV) vaccines have sex-differential nonspecific effects? An observational study. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023; 19:2288297. [PMID: 38054431 PMCID: PMC10732639 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2288297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccines may alter the ability to combat infections unrelated to the target disease, i.e. have "nonspecific effects." The non-live Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis vaccine (DTP) has been associated with increased child mortality, especially for females. In 2008, the DTP-containing Pentavalent vaccine replaced DTP vaccine in Guinea-Bissau. We investigate female relative to male mortality after Penta vaccination. In Guinea-Bissau, Bandim Health Project (BHP) registered children's vaccination and vital status at biannual village visits and provided vaccines. Among children Penta-vaccinated by BHP, we compared mortality of males and females in Cox proportional hazards models. Children aged 6 weeks to 8 months entered the analysis at the date of vaccination and were followed for up to 6 months. Between September 2008 and December 2017, 33,989 children aged 6 weeks to 8 months were under surveillance. Of these 12,753 (females: 6,363; males: 6,390) received Penta by the BHP and entered the study contributing with 19,667 observations. The mortality rate following Penta vaccination was 25.2 per 1,000 person years for females and 26.6 for males, resulting in an adjusted Female/Male mortality rate ratio of (F/M aMRR) 1.01 (0.82-1.25). The association between sex and mortality differed by timeliness of vaccination, F/M aMRR: 0.62 (0.41-0.93) for children vaccinated below median age, and F/M aMRR: 1.38 (0.90-2.13) for children vaccinated above median age. We did not find higher overall mortality in females than males after Penta vaccination. Our findings suggest that mortality differences between males and females following Penta vaccination may depend on timeliness of Penta vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Aamand
- Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Ane Bærent Fisker
- Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Bandim Health Project, OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital/University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Sanne Marie Thysen
- Bandim Health Project, Indepth Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Bandim Health Project, OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, Odense University Hospital/University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Theilmann M, Geldsetzer P, Bärnighausen T, Sudharsanan N. Does Early Childhood BCG Vaccination Improve Survival to Midlife in a Population With a Low Tuberculosis Prevalence? Quasi-experimental Evidence on Nonspecific Effects From 32 Swedish Birth Cohorts. Demography 2023; 60:1607-1630. [PMID: 37732832 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-10970757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) is widely used globally. Many high-income countries discontinued nationwide vaccination policies starting in the 1980s as the TB prevalence decreased. However, there is continued scientific interest in whether the general childhood immunity boost conferred by the BCG vaccination impacts adult health and mortality in low-TB contexts (known as nonspecific effects). While recent studies have found evidence of an association between BCG vaccination and survival to ages 34-45, it is unclear whether these associations are causal or driven by the unobserved characteristics of those who chose to voluntarily vaccinate. We use the abrupt discontinuation of mandatory BCG vaccination in Sweden in 1975 as a natural experiment to estimate the causal nonspecific effect of the BCG vaccine on cohort survival to midlife. Applying two complementary study designs, we find no evidence that survival to age 40 was affected by the discontinuation of childhood BCG vaccination. The results are consistent among both males and females and are robust to several sensitivity tests. Overall, despite prior correlational studies suggesting large nonspecific effects, we do not find any population-level evidence for a nonspecific effect of the BCG vaccine discontinuation on survival to age 40 in Sweden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Theilmann
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Professorship of Behavioral Science for Disease Prevention and Health Care and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Pascal Geldsetzer
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Till Bärnighausen
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Nikkil Sudharsanan
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Professorship of Behavioral Science for Disease Prevention and Health Care and Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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3
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Pehrson I, Sayyab S, Das J, Idh N, Paues J, Méndez-Aranda M, Ugarte-Gil C, Lerm M. The spectrum of tuberculosis described as differential DNA methylation patterns in alveolar macrophages and alveolar T cells. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:175. [PMID: 36527066 PMCID: PMC9758029 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01390-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Host innate immune cells have been identified as key players in the early eradication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and in the maintenance of an anti-mycobacterial immune memory, which we and others have shown are induced through epigenetic reprogramming. Studies on human tuberculosis immunity are dominated by those using peripheral blood as surrogate markers for immunity. We aimed to investigate DNA methylation patterns in immune cells of the lung compartment by obtaining induced sputum from M. tuberculosis- exposed subjects including symptom-free subjects testing positively and negatively for latent tuberculosis as well as patients diagnosed with active tuberculosis. Alveolar macrophages and alveolar T cells were isolated from the collected sputum and DNA methylome analyses performed (Illumina Infinium Human Methylation 450 k). RESULTS Multidimensional scaling analysis revealed that DNA methylomes of cells from the tuberculosis-exposed subjects and controls appeared as separate clusters. The numerous genes that were differentially methylated between the groups were functionally connected and overlapped with previous findings of trained immunity and tuberculosis. In addition, analysis of the interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) status of the subjects demonstrated that the IGRA status was reflected in the DNA methylome by a unique signature. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study suggests that M. tuberculosis induces epigenetic reprogramming in immune cells of the lung compartment, reflected as a specific DNA methylation pattern. The DNA methylation signature emerging from the comparison of IGRA-negative and IGRA-positive subjects revealed a spectrum of signature strength with the TB patients grouping together at one end of the spectrum, both in alveolar macrophages and T cells. DNA methylation-based biosignatures could be considered for further development towards a clinically useful tool for determining tuberculosis infection status and the level of tuberculosis exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Pehrson
- grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Lab 1, Floor 12, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Shumaila Sayyab
- grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Lab 1, Floor 12, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jyotirmoy Das
- grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Lab 1, Floor 12, 58185 Linköping, Sweden ,grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Bioinformatics Unit (Core Facility), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden ,grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Clinical Genomics Linköping, SciLife Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Nina Idh
- grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Lab 1, Floor 12, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jakob Paues
- grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Lab 1, Floor 12, 58185 Linköping, Sweden ,grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Melissa Méndez-Aranda
- grid.11100.310000 0001 0673 9488Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias Y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - César Ugarte-Gil
- grid.11100.310000 0001 0673 9488School of Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru ,grid.11100.310000 0001 0673 9488Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Maria Lerm
- grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Lab 1, Floor 12, 58185 Linköping, Sweden
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Thysen SM, Møller Jensen A, Vedel JO, da Silva Borges I, Aaby P, Jensen AKG, Benn CS, Fisker AB. Can BCG vaccination at first health-facility contact reduce early infant mortality? Study protocol for a cluster-randomised trial (CS-BCG). BMJ Open 2022; 12:e063872. [PMID: 36410811 PMCID: PMC9680145 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Increasing evidence suggests that the BCG vaccine has non-specific effects, altering the susceptibility to non-tuberculous infections. Thus, early BCG vaccination may reduce mortality. BCG is recommended at birth but is often delayed. Vaccination opportunities are missed due to multidose vials not being opened for a few children. We will assess the effect of making BCG available at the first health-facility contact on early infant mortality and morbidity in a rural setting in Guinea-Bissau. METHODS AND ANALYSIS In a cluster-randomised crossover trial, we randomise 23 health centres to two different treatment groups. In half of the health centres, BCG is provided as per current practice; in the remaining health centres, we make BCG available everyday to allow opening a vial of BCG if there is just one eligible child present. The randomisation of centres will be crossed over after 12 months and enrolment will continue for another 12 months.We will use logistic regression models with adjustment for village to assess the effect of making BCG available at the first health-facility contact. The main outcome is non-accidental mortality between day 1 and day 42 after birth. We will adjust for sex, health centre, period (before/after crossover) and level of surveillance (level 1 or level 2). Further analyses include assessment of the effect on hospital admission and a cost-effectiveness evaluation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION If BCG vaccination reduces early infant mortality, missed opportunities and delays of vaccinations expose infants in several low-income countries to unnecessary excess mortality risk. The present trial will provide information on the effect of implementing a feasible intervention, where all children receive BCG at their first health-facility contact. Consent is obtained from all pregnant women registered as part of the trial. The results of the study will be published and communicated to the National Institute of Public Health in Guinea-Bissau. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT04658680; Clinicaltrials.gov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Marie Thysen
- Bandim Health Project, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- OPEN, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andreas Møller Jensen
- Bandim Health Project, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- OPEN, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Julie Odgaard Vedel
- Bandim Health Project, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- OPEN, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Peter Aaby
- Bandim Health Project, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | | | - Christine Stabell Benn
- Bandim Health Project, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- OPEN, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ane Bærent Fisker
- Bandim Health Project, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- OPEN, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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5
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Rangchaikul P, Ahn P, Nguyen M, Zhong V, Venketaraman V. Review of Pediatric Tuberculosis in the Aftermath of COVID-19. Clin Pract 2022; 12:738-754. [PMID: 36136871 PMCID: PMC9498527 DOI: 10.3390/clinpract12050077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2014, the World Health Organization developed the End Tuberculosis Strategy with the goal of a 95% reduction in deaths from tuberculosis (TB) by 2035. The start of the COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdown has had a major impact on TB awareness, screening, diagnosis, and prompt initiation of treatment, inevitably leading to a significant setback. We explore pediatric tuberculosis through the lens of the COVID-19 era, investigating how COVID-19 has impacted pediatric TB cases in different regions of the world and what the implications are for management moving forward to mitigate these effects. Furthermore, in light of recent findings showing how exposed infants and children are at higher risk than we thought of contracting the disease, greater attention and resources are needed to prevent further downward trends.
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6
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Brook B, Schaltz-Buchholzer F, Ben-Othman R, Kollmann T, Amenyogbe N. A place for neutrophils in the beneficial pathogen-agnostic effects of the BCG vaccine. Vaccine 2022; 40:1534-1539. [PMID: 33863572 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.03.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The BCG vaccine has long been recognized for reducing the risk to suffer from infectious diseases unrelated to its target disease, tuberculosis. Evidence from human trials demonstrate substantial reductions in all-cause mortality, especially in the first week of life. Observational studies have identified an association between BCG vaccination and reduced risk of respiratory infectious disease and clinical malaria later in childhood. The mechanistic basis for these pathogen-agnostic benefits, also known as beneficial non-specific effects (NSE) of BCG have been attributed to trained immunity, or epigenetic reprogramming of hematopoietic cells that give rise to innate immune cells responding more efficiently to a broad range of pathogens. Furthermore, within trained immunity, the focus so far has been on enhanced monocyte function. However, polymorphonuclear cells, namely neutrophils, are not only major constituents of the hematopoietic compartment but functionally as well as numerically represent a prominent component of the immune system. The beneficial NSEs of the BCG vaccine on newborn sepsis was recently demonstrated to be driven by a BCG-mediated numeric increase of neutrophils (emergency granulopoiesis (EG)). And experimental evidence in animal models suggest that BCG can modulate neutrophil function as well. Together, these findings suggest that neutrophils are crucial to at least the immediate beneficial NSE of the BCG vaccine. Efforts to uncover the full gamut of mechanisms underpinning the broad beneficial effects of BCG should therefore include neutrophils at the forefront.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron Brook
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frederick Schaltz-Buchholzer
- Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Rym Ben-Othman
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Tobias Kollmann
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nelly Amenyogbe
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
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7
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COVID-19 vaccine development based on recombinant viral and bacterial vector systems: combinatorial effect of adaptive and trained immunity. J Microbiol 2022; 60:321-334. [PMID: 35157221 PMCID: PMC8853094 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-022-1621-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has led to many cases and deaths worldwide. Therefore, a number of vaccine candidates have been developed to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Of these, to date, 21 vaccines have received emergency approval for human use in at least one country. However, the recent global emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has compromised the efficacy of the currently available vaccines. To protect against these variants, the use of vaccines that modulate T cell-mediated immune responses or innate immune cell memory function, termed trained immunity, is needed. The major advantage of a vaccine that uses bacteria or viral systems for the delivery of COVID-19 antigens is the ability to induce both T cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. In addition, such vaccine systems can also exert off-target effects via the vector itself, mediated partly through trained immunity; compared to other vaccine platforms, suggesting that this approach can provide better protection against even vaccine escape variants. This review presents the current status of the development of COVID-19 vaccines based on recombinant viral and bacterial delivery systems. We also discuss the current status of the use of licensed live vaccines for other infections, including BCG, oral polio and MMR vaccines, to prevent COVID-19 infections.
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8
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Omar M, Muhsen K. A narrative review of nonspecific effects of pediatric vaccines on child mortality and morbidity. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:5269-5283. [PMID: 34847820 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1996150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We reviewed evidence on nonspecific effects of pediatric vaccines on mortality and morbidity in countries with high child mortality. Literature search of epidemiological studies was conducted for studies published between 2000 and September 2021 using MEDLINE. Consistent evidence exists regarding the potential protective effect of measles vaccine on child survival. Vaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine was related to lower risk of mortality in young children (including low birth weight babies) and inverse associations were found between developing a scar and having a positive tuberculin test after BCG vaccination with mortality. BCG vaccine might also reduce the risk of nontuberculosis infectious diseases. Studies on the association between diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine and child survival showed inconsistent findings, which might be affected by bias and confounding. More evidence is needed to assess the role of these and other vaccines in children's health and to better understand potential biological mechanisms and other influential factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muna Omar
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Khitam Muhsen
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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9
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IL-1 family cytokines as drivers and inhibitors of trained immunity. Cytokine 2021; 150:155773. [PMID: 34844039 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Trained immunity is the long-term memory of innate immune cells, characterised by increased pro-inflammatory responses towards homo- and heterologous secondary stimuli. Interleukin (IL)-1 signalling plays an essential role in the induction of trained immunity, also called innate immune memory. As such, certain anti-inflammatory members of the IL-1 family of cytokines (IL-1F) which interfere with the inflammatory process have the potential to regulate the induction of a trained phenotype. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the role of IL-1F members in the context of trained immunity, emphasising the role of anti-inflammatory cytokines from the IL-1F to inhibit the induction of trained immunity, and touching upon their potential as therapeutics in IL-1-driven inflammatory disorders.
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10
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Rescuing Immunosenescence via Non-Specific Vaccination. IMMUNO 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/immuno1030015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Discrepancies in lifespan and healthy-life span are predisposing populations to an increasing burden of age-related disease. Accumulating evidence implicates aging of the immune system, termed immunosenescence, in the pathogenesis of multiple age-related diseases. Moreover, immune dysregulation in the elderly increases vulnerability to infection and dampens pathogen-specific immune responses following vaccination. The health challenges manifesting from these age related deficits have been dramatically exemplified by the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Approaches to either attenuate or reverse functional markers of immunosenescence are therefore urgently needed. Recent evidence suggests systemic immunomodulation via non-specific vaccination with live-attenuated vaccines may be a promising avenue to at least reduce aged population vulnerability to viral infection. This short review describes current understanding of immunosenescence, the historical and mechanistic basis of vaccine-mediated immunomodulation, and the outstanding questions and challenges required for broad adoption.
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11
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Schaltz-Buchholzer F, Roth A, de Bree LCJ, Biering-Sørensen S, Timmermann CAG, Monteiro I, Aaby P, Benn CS. Neonatal Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination and tuberculin skin test reactions at 2- and 6-months: Effects on mortality up to 1 year of age. Vaccine 2021; 39:7286-7294. [PMID: 34226104 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.06.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In randomized trials, Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has been associated with reduced all-cause mortality. BCG-induced Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) reactions have also been associated with reduced all-cause mortality. We aimed to assess the association between TST responses and subsequent mortality in three birth cohorts and conducted a meta-analysis of existing studies. METHODS Observational study within three Guinea-Bissau BCG trial birth cohorts (conducted 2002-04, 2009-2013 and 2014-18) that encompassed children who were BCG-vaccinated within 28 days with TSTs performed at 2- (n = 1389) and 6-months (n = 2635) of age. We evaluated TST reaction determinants by binomial regression and assessed the association between TSTs > 1 mm (reactors) vs. ≤ 1 mm (non-reactors) and subsequent mortality risk up to age 12 months in Cox-models providing Mortality Rate Ratios (MRRs). We searched PubMed for studies to calculate meta-estimates of the association between TST reactivity by age 2- and 6-months and all-cause mortality. RESULTS Large post-vaccination wheal size was associated with 6-month TST positivity and so was receiving BCG-Denmark or BCG-Japan, compared with BCG-Russia. By age 2 months, 22% (302/1389) of infants were TST reactors with a 2-12-month mortality risk of 1.7% (5/302) vs. 3.3% (36/1087) for non-reactors, the corresponding reactor/non-reactor MRR = 0.49 (0.19-1.26). By age 6 months, 44% (1149/2635) of infants were reactors and the 6-12-month mortality risk was 0.4% (4/1149) vs. 0.6% (9/1486) for non-reactors, the MRR = 0.87 (0.27-2.86). The literature search provided 3 studies. The meta-analysis revealed a uniform pattern of reduced mortality associated with TST reactivity, a TST response by 2 months being associated with an MRR of 0.59 (0.39-0.90); for 6-month TST responses the MRR was 0.65 (0.43-1.00). CONCLUSION Among BCG-vaccinated infants, TST reactions were associated with markedly reduced mortality. Improved vaccination technique and using certain BCG strains could lead to a higher TST reaction prevalence, which would enhance BCG's beneficial non-specific effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; Bandim Health Project, OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, Uni. Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Adam Roth
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden; Institution for Translation Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - L Charlotte J de Bree
- Bandim Health Project, OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, Uni. Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Clara Amalie Gade Timmermann
- Research Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Uni. Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ivan Monteiro
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Peter Aaby
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Christine Stabell Benn
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau; Bandim Health Project, OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, Uni. Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Danish Institute of Advanced Science, Uni. Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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12
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Schaltz-Buchholzer F, Aaby P, Monteiro I, Camala L, Faurholt Simonsen S, Nørtoft Frankel H, Lindberg Larsen K, Golding CN, Kollmann TR, Amenyogbe N, Stabell Benn C, Bjerregaard-Andersen M. Immediate Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination to neonates requiring perinatal treatment at the maternity ward in Guinea-Bissau: A randomized controlled trial. J Infect Dis 2021; 224:1935-1944. [PMID: 33893799 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indicate that Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination provides broad beneficial non-specific protection against infections. We investigated the effect on in-hospital mortality of providing BCG immediately upon admission to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), rather than BCG-at-discharge. The pre-trial NICU mortality was 13% and we hypothesized that BCG would reduce mortality by 40%. METHODS Parallel-group, open-label RCT initiated in 2013 in Guinea-Bissau. NICU-admitted neonates were randomized 1:1 to BCG+Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) immediately (intervention) versus BCG+OPV at hospital discharge (control; usual practice). The trial was discontinued due to decreasing in-hospital mortality and major NICU restructuring. We assessed overall and disease-specific mortality by randomization allocation in Cox Proportional Hazards models providing Mortality Rate Ratios (MRRs). RESULTS We recruited 3,353 neonates and the overall mortality was 3.1% (52/1676) for BCG-vaccinated neonates versus 3.3% (55/1677) for controls, MRR=0.94 (0.64-1.36). For non-infectious causes of death the MRR was 1.20 (0.70-2.07) and there tended to be fewer deaths from infections in the BCG group (N=14) than among controls (N=21), MRR=0.65 (0.33-1.28). CONCLUSIONS Providing BCG+OPV to frail neonates was safe and might protect against fatal infection in the immediate newborn period. Deaths due to prematurity and perinatal complications were unaffected by BCG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.,Bandim Health Project, OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, Uni. Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Peter Aaby
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Ivan Monteiro
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Luis Camala
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | | | | | | | | | - Tobias R Kollmann
- Telethon Kids Institute, Subiaco, Australia.,Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nelly Amenyogbe
- Telethon Kids Institute, Subiaco, Australia.,Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada NA
| | - Christine Stabell Benn
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.,Bandim Health Project, OPEN, Department of Clinical Research, Uni. Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Danish Institute of Advanced Science, Uni. Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.,Department of Endocrinology, Hospital of Southwest Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark.,Steno Diabetes Center, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
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13
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Khanna M, Rady H, Dai G, Ramsay AJ. Intranasal boosting with MVA encoding secreted mycobacterial proteins Ag85A and ESAT-6 generates strong pulmonary immune responses and protection against M. tuberculosis in mice given BCG as neonates. Vaccine 2021; 39:1780-1787. [PMID: 33632562 PMCID: PMC7990059 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.01.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Bacille-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) has variable efficacy as an adult tuberculosis (TB) vaccine but can reduce the incidence and severity of TB infection in humans. We have engineered modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) strain vaccine constructs to express the secreted mycobacterial proteins Ag85A and ESAT-6 (MVA-AE) and evaluated their immunogenicity and protective efficacy as mucosal booster vaccines for BCG given subcutaneously in early life. Intranasal delivery of MVA-AE to young adult mice induced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses to both Ag85A and ESAT-6 in lung mucosae. These responses were markedly enhanced in mice that had been primed neonatally with BCG prior to intranasal MVA-AE immunization (BCG/MVA-AE), as evidenced by numbers of pulmonary Ag85A-, ESAT-6-, and PPD-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and by their capacity to secrete multiple antimicrobial factors, including IFNγ, IL-2 and IL-17. Moreover, MVA-AE boosting generated multifunctional lung CD4+ T cells responding to ESAT-6, which were not, as expected, detected in control mice given BCG, and elevated Ag85A-specific circulating antibody responses. After aerosol challenge with M. tuberculosis H37Rv (Mtb), the BCG/MVA-AE group had significantly reduced mycobacterial burden in the lungs, compared with either BCG primed mice boosted with control MVA or mice given only BCG. These data indicate that intranasal delivery of MVA-AE can boost BCG-induced Th1 and Th17-based immunity locally in the lungs and improve the protective efficacy of neonatally-administered BCG against M. tuberculosis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayank Khanna
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, and the Louisiana Vaccine Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Hamada Rady
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, and the Louisiana Vaccine Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Guixiang Dai
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, and the Louisiana Vaccine Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Alistair J Ramsay
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, and the Louisiana Vaccine Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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14
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Vierboom MP, Dijkman K, Sombroek CC, Hofman SO, Boot C, Vervenne RA, Haanstra KG, van der Sande M, van Emst L, Domínguez-Andrés J, Moorlag SJ, Kocken CH, Thole J, Rodríguez E, Puentes E, Martens JH, van Crevel R, Netea MG, Aguilo N, Martin C, Verreck FA. Stronger induction of trained immunity by mucosal BCG or MTBVAC vaccination compared to standard intradermal vaccination. Cell Rep Med 2021; 2:100185. [PMID: 33521699 PMCID: PMC7817864 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BCG vaccination can strengthen protection against pathogens through the induction of epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming of innate immune cells, a process called trained immunity. We and others recently demonstrated that mucosal or intravenous BCG better protects rhesus macaques from Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and TB disease than standard intradermal vaccination, correlating with local adaptive immune signatures. In line with prior mouse data, here, we show in rhesus macaques that intravenous BCG enhances innate cytokine production associated with changes in H3K27 acetylation typical of trained immunity. Alternative delivery of BCG does not alter the cytokine production of unfractionated bronchial lavage cells. However, mucosal but not intradermal vaccination, either with BCG or the M. tuberculosis-derived candidate MTBVAC, enhances innate cytokine production by blood- and bone marrow-derived monocytes associated with metabolic rewiring, typical of trained immunity. These results provide support to strategies for improving TB vaccination and, more broadly, modulating innate immunity via mucosal surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karin Dijkman
- Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, the Netherlands
| | | | - Sam O. Hofman
- Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, the Netherlands
| | - Charelle Boot
- Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Maarten van der Sande
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Jelle Thole
- TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative, Lelystad, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Joost H.A. Martens
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Mihai G. Netea
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nacho Aguilo
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, IIS Aragón, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- CIBERES, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Martin
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, IIS Aragón, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- CIBERES, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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15
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Hirose A, Kajungu D, Tusubira V, Waiswa P, Alfven T, Hanson C. Postneonatal under-5 mortality in peri-urban and rural Eastern Uganda, 2005-2015. BMJ Glob Health 2020; 5:e003762. [PMID: 33334903 PMCID: PMC7747610 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Community and individual sociodemographic characteristics play an important role in child survival. However, a question remains how urbanisation and demographic changes in sub-Saharan Africa affect community-level determinants for child survival. METHODS Longitudinal data from the Iganga/Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance Site was used to obtain postneonatal under-5 mortality rates between March 2005 and February 2015 in periurban and rural areas separately. Multilevel survival analysis models were used to identify factors associated with mortality. RESULTS There were 43 043 postneonatal under-5 children contributing to 116 385 person years of observation, among whom 1737 died. Average annual crude mortality incidence rate (IR) differed significantly between periurban and rural areas (9.0 (8.1 to 10.0) per 1000 person-years vs 18.1 (17.1 to 19.0), respectively). In periurban areas, there was evidence for decreasing mortality from IR=11.3 (7.7 to 16.6) in 2006 to IR=4.5 (3.0 to 6.9) in 2015. The mortality fluctuated with no evidence for reduction in rural areas (IR=19.0 (15.8 to 22.8) in 2006; IR=15.5 (13.0 to 18.6) in 2015). BCG vaccination was associated with reduced mortality in periurban and rural areas (adjusted rate ratio (aRR)=0.45; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.67 and aRR=0.56; 95% CI 0.41 to 0.76, respectively). Maternal education level within the community was associated with reduced mortality in both periurban and rural sites (aRR=0.83; 95% CI 0.70 to 0.99; aRR=0.90; 95% CI 0.81 to 0.99). The proportion of households in the poorest quintile within the community was associated with mortality in rural areas only (aRR=1.08; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.18). In rural areas, a large disparity existed between the least poor and the poorest (aRR=0.50; 95% CI 0.27 to 0.92). CONCLUSION We found evidence for a mortality decline in peri-urban but not rural areas. Investments in the known key health (eg, vaccination) and socio-economic interventions (education, and economic development) continue to be crucial for mortality declines. Focused strategies to eliminate the disparity between wealth quintiles are also warranted. There may be equitable access to health services in peri-urban areas but improved metrics of socioeconomic position suitable for peri-urban residents may be needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsumi Hirose
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Dan Kajungu
- Makerere University Centre for Health and Population Research, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Valerie Tusubira
- Makerere University Centre for Health and Population Research, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Peter Waiswa
- School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Tobias Alfven
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Claudia Hanson
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London, UK
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16
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Lerm M. On the relationship between BCG coverage and national COVID-19 outcome: could 'heterologous' herd immunity explain why some countries are better off? J Intern Med 2020; 288:682-688. [PMID: 33107999 PMCID: PMC7839714 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected most parts of the global society since its emergence, and the scientific community has been challenged with questions urgently demanding answers. One of the early hypotheses on COVID-19 outcome was that some protection could be offered by the tuberculosis vaccine (BCG), and several clinical studies were initiated along with the emergence of numerous observational studies on the relationship between BCG and COVID-19 severity. In the present work, I demonstrate a strong correlation between the number of years that countries implemented BCG vaccination plans and age-standardized mortality rates during the first months of the pandemic in Europe. Further analyses of age groups in two European countries with comparably few confounding factors and easily identifiable groups of BCG-vaccinated and non-vaccinated subgroups suggest a population-level effect of BCG on national outcomes of COVID-19. This phenomenon of 'heterologous herd immunity' deserves further investigation, both in epidemiological and experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lerm
- From the, Division of Inflammation and Infection, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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17
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Lessons from Bacillus Calmette-Guérin: Harnessing Trained Immunity for Vaccine Development. Cells 2020; 9:cells9092109. [PMID: 32948003 PMCID: PMC7564904 DOI: 10.3390/cells9092109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccine design traditionally focuses on inducing adaptive immune responses against a sole target pathogen. Considering that many microbes evade innate immune mechanisms to initiate infection, and in light of the discovery of epigenetically mediated innate immune training, the paradigm of vaccine design has the potential to change. The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine induces some level of protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) while stimulating trained immunity that correlates with lower mortality and increased protection against unrelated pathogens. This review will explore BCG-induced trained immunity, including the required pathways to establish this phenotype. Additionally, potential methods to improve or expand BCG trained immunity effects through alternative vaccine delivery and formulation methods will be discussed. Finally, advances in new anti-Mtb vaccines, other antimicrobial uses for BCG, and “innate memory-based vaccines” will be examined.
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