EMI-TB

EMI-TB: Novel TB vaccine development

EU Horizon 2020 project: CORDIS (EMI-TB)

EMI-TB is an EU Horizon 2020 funded action focused on selecting and developing a novel vaccine candidate for TB.

Tuberculosis is a global health problem, killing 1.5 million people every year. The only currently available vaccine, Mycobacterium bovis BCG, is effective against severe childhood forms, but demonstrates variable efficacy against the pulmonary form of TB in adults. Many adult TB cases result from reactivation of latent M. tuberculosis infection. Effective prophylactic vaccination remains the key long-term strategy for combating TB.

EMI-TB aims

• To extensively test the most promising vaccine candidate in preparation for future clinical trials.
• To establish correlates of a protective immune response in MTB-exposed humans and vaccinated animals.
• To identify novel, early stage infection-associated CD8+ T-cell epitopes for inducing protective cell-mediated immunity.
• To establish an optimal vaccine delivery system for inducing protective mucosal immunity against MTB.

12 research groups participate in the EMI-TB action, including a partner from Mozambique, with support from 2 SME partners.