The new initiative is the largest ever of its kind and brings together 52 research teams from Europe and Africa in the hope of improving immunisation against TB, which kills 2 million people every year. One-third of the world's population is infected with the organism that causes TB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
"Despite today's potential in scientific knowledge and technology, poverty-related diseases such as tuberculosis are not eradicated yet," commented Philippe Busquin, the EU research Commissioner.
While most cases and deaths occur in developing countries, resistant Mtb strains are mainly found among the poorest people in developed countries, as incomplete treatment increases drug resistance. And the vaccine currently used, BCG, only protects children from severe TB and does nothing to shield adults against contagious TB. Moreover, it can be dangerous for HIV patients, who are among the people most at risk of catching TB.
To deal with the urgent need for new vaccines, the EU is financing two Integrated Projects under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), TB-VAC and MUVAPRED. Both have benefited from the recent sequencing of the genome for MTb.
The TB-VAC project will develop an appropriate vaccine for adults that will also be safe to use in locations with poor health infrastructure with the aim of bringing a project through to Phase I clinical testing.
Meanwhile, MUVAPRED will focus on developing a vaccine that can be taken orally or as a nasal spray. This will avoid the risk involved in using needles and stimulate mucosal immunity, which could limit the spread of the organism.