How TB's Esx5 secretion system affects disease and immune protection
Esx5 secretome in TB and TB-HIV pathogenesis and immunity
Researchers will use a weakened form of the TB bacterium to find the proteins it sends into cells and learn how those proteins shape immune protection against TB, including in people with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11333762 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team made a weakened Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain that lacks the Esx5 protein transport system and found it works well as a vaccine in animals. They will map which proteins the Esx5 system secretes and catalog the bacterium's secreted proteins. Using laboratory and animal experiments, they will test how individual secreted proteins contribute to disease and to the vaccine's protective effect. The goal is to understand the immune responses that make the weakened strain protective so those insights can guide better TB vaccines.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People at high risk for TB exposure, including those living with HIV, could be future candidates for vaccine trials based on these findings.
Not a fit: Patients with active TB disease or people who cannot receive live vaccines (for example, some severely immunocompromised individuals) are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to safer, more effective TB vaccines and new ways to protect people, including those living with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: Live-attenuated TB approaches and the BCG vaccine have shown protection in animals and partial protection in humans, but genetically modified M. tuberculosis vaccines are relatively novel with limited human testing to date.
Where this research is happening
Bronx, United States
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine — Bronx, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jacobs, William Robert — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Jacobs, William Robert
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.