STAT

Genetic tweaks to tuberculosis could speed up discovery of a new vaccine

Tuberculosis kills 1.5 million people each year, and a better vaccine than the existing one could save lives on a stunning scale.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that kills 1.5 million people each year.

“OK, smell this,” says Jeff Wagner, a Harvard postdoc of immunology and infectious disease. He’s pointing to the two flasks of bacteria in front of me. I breathe cautiously from the first vial of yellowish broth. Nothing. “Now this one,” he says, with an identical looking sample. And I’m hit with it: a distinct mint aroma like someone melted down a pack of breath mints.

These minty bacteria are genetically engineered relatives of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that kills 1.5 million people each year. Thankfully this strain — Mycobacterium smegmatis — is harmless. But it’s a close enough cousin that scientists can use it as a proxy for the real thing.

And though a mint-scented bacterium might seem like a silly achievement, it’s part of a serious strategy by a team

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from STAT

STAT2 min read
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re Reading About Abortion Pill Arguments, A Merck Drug Approval, And More
U.S. Supreme Court justices focused on plaintiffs' right to sue the FDA to reinstate restrictions on a commonly used abortion pill, suggesting they are unlikely to restrict access.
STAT1 min read
STAT+: New Gene Therapy, To Be Priced At $4.25 Million, Has Already Transformed Children’s Lives
The world's most expensive treatment offers a near-cure for young children and redemption for its developer, but steep challenges still loom.
STAT2 min read
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re Reading About CAR-T Drugs For Myeloma, CVS Rebate Credits, And More
A FDA panel voted in favor of expanding use of CAR-T therapy in multiple myeloma, despite concerns about side effects.

Related Books & Audiobooks