How the tuberculosis vaccine may protect against other diseases

(Cell Press) The tuberculosis vaccine is well known to help protect against other infectious diseases, as well as cancer, but the exact mechanisms have not been clear. A study publishedin Cell Reports now shows that the broad-spectrum effects of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine could be mediated by metabolic and epigenetic changes in white blood cells through a process called trained immunity. This discovery could pave the way for strategies that boost the effectiveness of vaccines.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news