A new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine has shown positive results in trials with mice. If the study succeeds it would be the first new TB vaccine. In 2015, 10.4 million persons got ill with TB and 1.8 million died. According to the world Health Organisation, there were nearly half a million of multidrug-resistant TB cases.

The new vaccines use biobeads as a platform to present the antigens from the tuberculosis bacterium to the immune system.

Based on the researchers’ observation they developed a hypothesis that these proteins could also function as antigens.

A report says the new TB vaccine research uses these mycobacterial biobeads to vaccinate mice and tested the mice for immune responses.

Evidence of cell-mediated immunity with the potential to be protective against TB was seen. Their future study goals immunization and protection as well as more efficient production and purification methods for the vaccine. The researchers killed and broke the bacteria then purified the biobeads. They are complete natural and known to be biodegradable.

They saw evidence of cell-mediated immunity with the potential to be protective against TB. The current TB vaccine was created in 1921 and can cause the disease in people with compromised immune systems.

The new TB vaccine is expected to be much better. Along with additional study and lab tests, there are high hopes in it.