Dr Mariano Maio, Instituto de Investigaciounes Biomédicas en Retrovirus Y Sida (INBIRS) - VALIDATE Fellow
Boosting BCG Vaccine Efficacy through Metabolic modulation of T Memory Stem Cells: Implications for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Protection
Project Aims
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide. The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine -used for over a century – is still the only approved vaccine against TB. While it protects infants from severe forms of the disease, it offers limited and inconsistent protection against the most common and contagious form: adult pulmonary TB. This gap highlights an urgent need to improve how BCG prepares the immune system to fight TB.
This project aims to enhance the long-term effectiveness of BCG by boosting the body’s ability to “remember” how to respond to TB. We focus on a rare group of immune cells with a special ability to self-renew and maintain immune memory over time. Supporting these cells during vaccination could lead to longer-lasting and more effective protection.
To do this, we will test two natural supplements – L-carnitine and D-mannose – that promote the development of these memory cells. By combining these supplements with BCG in lab-based studies, we aim to guide the immune response in a way that leads to stronger, more durable immunity against TB.
If successful, this strategy could offer a low-cost, easy-to-implement way to imprve an existing vaccine used across the globe, especially in low- and middle-income countries where TB is most deadly.
This project also supports the training and developments of an early-career researcher in Argentina and strengthen ongoing international collaboration with experts in France – ensuring that the benefits of this work extend beyond the lab global TB control efforts.
Find out more about Dr Mariano Maio here.
