Inactivated mycobacterium paragordonae delivered via microneedle patches as a novel tuberculosis booster vaccine.

ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge with approximately 8.2 million new cases reported in 2023, despite the century-old Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. BCG's protective efficacy diminishes over time, especially against pulmonary TB in adults. This study evaluates ethanol-inactivated Mycobacterium paragordonae (M.pg) delivered via Microneedle Array Patches (MAPs) as a novel booster strategy to enhance BCG vaccination efficacy. Various inactivation methods including heat treatment, formalin, and ethanol were compared, with ethanol-inactivated M.pg selected for optimal preservation of morphology and immunologically significant proteins. MAPs were fabricated using the droplet extension technique (DEN). Immunological assessment was

SUBMITTER: Lee M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12118391 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature