Wellcome Trust, www.wellcome.ac.uk, February 28, 2011
A team of researchers has developed an antibody-based therapy to prevent TB in mice. The team produced a human monoclonal antibody of the IgA type that can recognize the TB bacteria. The antibody works by attaching to the bacterial cells and triggering immune processes that prevent bacterial growth. When this antibody is combined with interferon, a modulator of the immune system, it offers protection against TB. The researchers are from the University of Dundee, Scotland; King’s College, London; and St. George’s Hospital Medical School, University of London. Each research team contributed a different type of expertise to the experiment: Professor Juraj Ivanyi of King’s College is an international expert in TB research, Dr. Jenny Woof of Dundee has experience in human IgA antibodies, and Dr. Rajko Reljic of St. George’s has expertise and special facilities for experimental models of infection. The study was funded jointly by the Wellcome Trust and the Dunhill Medical Trust and is published in the Journal of Immunology 2011;186:3113-3119.
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