Work

Stress proteins are immune targets in leprosy and tuberculosis.

Year: 1988

Type: article

Abstract: To understand the immune response to infection by tuberculosis and leprosy bacilli and to develop improved vaccines, the nature of antigens that are involved in humoral and cell-mediated immunity was investigated. We have determined that five immunodominant protein antigens under study are homologues of stress proteins. This finding and observations with other pathogens suggest that infectious agents may respond to the host environment by producing stress proteins and that these proteins can be important immune targets. We postulate that abundant and highly conserved stress proteins may have "immunoprophylactic" potential for a broad spectrum of human pathogens.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.85.12.4267

Authors: D Young, R Lathigra, R Hendrix, D Sweetser, R A Young

Institutions: Hammersmith Hospital, Medical Research Council, University of Pittsburgh, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Heat shock proteins research

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases