Tuberculosis Vaccines and T Cell Immune Memory.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major infectious disease partly due to the lack of an effective vaccine. Therefore, developing new and more effective TB vaccines is crucial for controlling TB. Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( M. tuberculosis ) usually parasitizes in macrophages; therefore, cell-mediated immunity plays an important role. The maintenance of memory T cells following M. tuberculosis infection or vaccination is a hallmark of immune protection. This review analyzes the development of memory T cells during M. tuberculosis infection and vaccine immunization, especially on immune memory induced by BCG and subunit vaccines. Furthermore, the factors affecting the development of memory T cells are discussed in detail. The understanding of the development of memory T cells should contribute to designing more effective TB vaccines and optimizing vaccination strategies.