Innate Immune Response and Interaction with Adaptive Immunity: Role in Tuberculosis Immunology/Vaccinology

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading infectious morbidity and mortality causes worldwide. TB is caused by aerosol exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Although the current TB vaccine, bacillus Calmette-Guerin, has been widely used, it remains ineffective in protecting against adult pulmonary TB. Therapeutic TB vaccines represent a promising part of host-directed therapies against TB but none of them has been licensed yet for human use. These preventative and therapeutic vaccine efforts have been slowed down due to a lack of complete understanding of TB pathogenesis and how Mtb exploits each part of the immune system favoring its growth. T lymphocytes have been shown to play an essential role against Mtb infection. Dendritic cells and macrophages seem to be another key part of the immune system as being antigen-presenting cells and cell recruiters at the site of the infection which could explain the delayed onset of an adaptive immune response during TB.

This research topic aims to elucidate the multifaceted role of dendritic cells and macrophages in TB control and their crosstalk with the adaptive immune response, systemically and at the entry point of the infection, and to explore pertinent novel preventative and therapeutic vaccine strategies to tackle TB.

We welcome the submission of Reviews (Mini Reviews, Reviews, Opinions) as well as novel Original Research articles focusing on, but not strictly limited to, the following topics:
• Identification of mechanisms for how Mtb may hijack the host immune response and the implication of the dendritic cells or macrophages, at the systemic and local level
• Novel preventative or therapeutic strategies to target innate immune response to enhance the immune response against Mtb