Publication: Detection of humoral immune response in mice immunised with purified protein of milk expressing selected multi-tuberculosis epitopes
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Date
2025-02
Authors
Ravi, Dharshiga
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Abstract
Despite numerous global efforts to reduce infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the implementation of immunization programs, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Researchers have sought alternative preventive strategies to decrease the incidence of TB and address the limitations of existing Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination methods. A significant drawback of BCG vaccinations is their inability to provide adequate mucosal immunity, highlighting the urgent need for the development of more effective mucosal vaccines that can prevent invasive infections, particularly as MTB primarily targets the respiratory system. Our research team has developed a mucosal vaccine utilizing specific TB epitopes, namely Ag85B, Acr, and RpfE. The vaccine was administered by transfecting a pregnant goat's mammary gland, and the resulting milk was collected daily for 21 days and subsequently purified. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the purified milk protein in stimulating humoral immune responses in the serum and mucosal systems of Balb/C mice that received the vaccine candidate intranasally. The effectiveness of the purified protein was assessed by measuring the levels of antibodies generated on antigen-coated plates using the ELISA technique. After incubating the serum, saliva, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from the immunized mice, optical densities (OD) were read using an ELISA reader. The study's results indicated that both the purified protein alone and the combination of BCG with purified protein resulted in elevated levels of IgG antibodies in serum samples, as well as increased levels of IgA antibodies in saliva and BAL samples. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that the purified protein derived from milk, which contains selected TB epitopes, can induce antibody production, whether administered alone or in conjunction with BCG. This suggests its potential as a viable vaccine candidate against TB
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