Advances in tuberculosis vaccine strategies.

Tuberculosis (TB), an ancient human scourge, is a growing health problem in the developing world. Approximately two million deaths each year are caused by TB, which is the leading cause of death in HIV-infected individuals. Clearly, an improved TB vaccine is desperately needed. Heterologous prime-boost regimens probably represent the best hope for an improved vaccine regimen to prevent TB. This first generation of new vaccines might also complement drug treatment regimens and be effective against reactivation of TB from the latent state, which would significantly enhance their usefulness.