US scientists develop nose spray vaccine for tuberculosis

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed promising results in animal studies, where the vaccine accelerated bacterial clearance, reduced lung inflammation, prevented relapse after treatment, and enhanced the effectiveness of drugs used against drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Unlike conventional vaccines designed to prevent infection, the new vaccine is intended to work alongside existing tuberculosis treatments. It targets so-called "persister" bacteria, which can withstand prolonged antibiotic therapy by entering a dormant state and later reactivate, leading to recurrent disease.

In experiments on mice, the vaccine was administered together with standard first-line tuberculosis drugs. According to the research team, animals receiving the combined treatment cleared the infection more quickly, experienced less lung damage, and were less likely to develop the disease again after treatment ended.

The vaccine also improved the performance of the drug combination consisting of bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid, which is commonly used to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis. Researchers say this suggests the approach could eventually strengthen therapies for difficult-to-treat forms of the disease.

The vaccine combines two genes, relMtb and Mip3α, and is delivered through the nose to stimulate immune defenses directly in the lungs, where tuberculosis infection begins. The researchers say the design helps recruit key immune cells that recognize tuberculosis proteins and activate targeted T-cell responses, while also generating long-lasting immunity in the respiratory tract.

Tests in rhesus macaques also produced encouraging results. The vaccine triggered tuberculosis-specific immune responses in both the airways and bloodstream that remained detectable for at least six months. However, the primates were not exposed to tuberculosis, meaning the study evaluated immune responses rather than protection against infection.

Tuberculosis remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization, about one quarter of the global population carries a latent tuberculosis infection, while more than 10 million people developed active disease in 2024 and 1.2 million died from it.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that over the past three years, tuberculosis incidence in Kazakhstan had decreased by 13.3%.