Making of a highly useful multipurpose vaccine

Gp Talwar,Nishu Atrey,Priyanka Singh,Jagdish C Gupta

doi:10.15761/jts.1000117

Abstract

Reviewed briefly is the journey taken for development of an immunotherapeutic Vaccine for multibacillary leprosy. The nature of immune deficit in these patients is their inability to react to key antigens of M. leprae. Heterologous approach was adopted to identify a cultivable mycobacteria coded as Mw, now sequenced and named as Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MiP). MiP expediated bacterial clearance and shortened the recovery time of leprosy patients. It converted 65-70% of lepromin negative BL, LL patients to lepromin positivity status, which is not achieved by treatment with, drugs alone. The vaccine has received approval of The Drugs Controller General of India and USFDA and is being manufactured by M/s Cadilla Pharma. MiP is a potent invigorator of both cellular and humoral immune responses and has found many other useful applications. It is effective for treatment of Category II “difficult to treat” tuberculosis patients. In contrast to BCG, it is active in killed autoclaved form. It enhances considerably antibody titres to a potential birth control vaccine against hCG. It cures ugly anogenital warts. It has both preventive and therapeutic action against SP2/O Myelomas.

Highlights

Many scientists especially in developing countries would like to work on a problem relevant to the country, and if possible find a solution to it
Described briefly below is an immunotherapeutic vaccine that we developed for treatment of multibacillary leprosy
In the new field project to be undertaken under Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR) and National Leprosy Program (NLEP), the index leprosy patient will receive the MIP vaccine over and above the Multidrug treatment (MDT)

Summary

Introduction

Many scientists especially in developing countries would like to work on a problem relevant to the country, and if possible find a solution to it. Another remarkable feature of employing Mw (MiP) for treatment was the conversion of 65 to 69% patients from lepromin negativity to lepromin positivity status signifying the ability to resist and prevent the development of the disease on fresh exposure to M. leprae [9]. In the new field project to be undertaken under ICMR and NLEP, the index leprosy patient will receive the MIP vaccine over and above the MDT His family members and contacts would be immunized with MiP twice at an interval of six months with the expectation that their.

Tuberculosis

Findings

Summary