Using B cells to improve vaccines and treatments for TB and TB-HIV
Harnessing B cells for TB vaccine development to improve therapy of TB and TB-HIV coinfection
Researchers are developing vaccines and therapies that harness B cells to help people with tuberculosis, including those living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hackensack University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hackensack, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11110367 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You should know researchers are focusing on B cells, not just T cells, to create vaccines that could be given during or after TB treatment to prevent relapse. They study how B cell subtypes change after TB infection in animal models and human samples and look at signals like APRIL and BAFF that support B cell survival and memory. Using those findings, the team aims to design therapeutic vaccine candidates to use alongside antibiotics or to help clear latent infection, with preclinical testing and future plans toward human trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would include people with active tuberculosis on treatment, individuals with latent TB at risk of reactivation, and people living with HIV who have or are at risk for TB co-infection.
Not a fit: People without TB or at very low risk for TB, and those who cannot mount B cell responses (for example some severely immunosuppressed patients), are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could shorten TB treatment, lower relapse rates, and provide vaccines or therapies that help cure latent TB, including for people with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: Most prior TB vaccine efforts focused on T cell responses; targeting B cells for therapeutic TB vaccines is a relatively new approach and has not yet been proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
Hackensack, United States
- Hackensack University Medical Center — Hackensack, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gengenbacher, Martin Alfons — Hackensack University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Gengenbacher, Martin Alfons
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.