Immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Defense strategies

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is an intracellular pathogen that mainly affects alveolar macrophages. We have still no satisfactory vaccine against tuberculosis, and more than one-third of the global population are carriers of this pathogen. For the development of a vaccine that would induce not only humoral but, particularly, cell-mediated immunity, we must know all of the processes involved in the interaction between elements of the immune system and Mtb at all stages of the disease. This review considers the responses of immune system elements to various factors used by Mtb for cell invasion, survival, and reproduction.