Research identifies type of vaccine that holds promise in protecting ...(be even more potent than the one just st...)

"A new vaccine theoretically could not only protect against the overwhelming growth of TB organisms, but could kill residual organisms after a person has become infected. That's the hope," Hoft said.

It's critical to find a better vaccine, Hoft said. Tuberculosis strikes developing nations hardest, infecting one in three people worldwide. Nearly 8 million new cases of TB develop each year, and 2 million die from the infectious disease.

"These staggering statistics persist despite the availability of a tuberculosis vaccine," Hoft said. "New vaccines are urgently needed to reduce this immense burden of TB."

The World Health Organization recommends the current BCG vaccine for infants in developing countries shortly after they are born. The vaccine induces partial protection, and vaccinated children who contract a tuberculosis infection have a less severe illness. The current vaccine is about 70 percent protective against deaths or meningitis from tuberculosis and about 50 percent protective against pulmonary tuberculosis.

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