What are the effects of the BCG vaccine on the immune system?
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The BCG vaccine has a range of effects on the immune system. It has been shown to provide protection against tuberculosis as well as other infections, autoimmunity, allergies, and cancer . BCG vaccination can leave immunological "scars" within hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, impacting downstream innate immune cell function . Trained immunity, or epigenetic reprogramming of hematopoietic cells, plays a role in the pathogen-agnostic benefits of BCG . Neutrophils are crucial to the immediate beneficial effects of BCG, including the reduction of newborn sepsis . BCG vaccination has been shown to gradually improve autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, potentially through its impact on the T cell receptor and TCR signal strength . BCG exposure induces persistent epigenetic changes in monocytes, leading to off-target effects that protect against viral infections .
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| Papers (5) | Insight |
|---|---|
| The BCG vaccine induces long-term epigenetic remodeling in circulating monocytes, leading to off-target protection against viral infections. | |
| The BCG vaccine corrects a quantitative defect in the T cell receptor, improving TCR signal strength in type 1 diabetes. | |
4 Citations | The BCG vaccine has beneficial non-specific effects on the immune system, including enhanced function of monocytes and a numeric increase of neutrophils. |
| The BCG vaccine impacts the epigenetic landscape of progenitor cells in human bone marrow, potentially affecting the response to secondary immune challenges. | |
| The BCG vaccine has both pathogen-specific effects against tuberculosis and pathogen-agnostic effects on other infections, autoimmunity, allergies, and cancer. |
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