Figure 1. A vaccine designed with intrastructural help (recombinant subunit Th vaccine) to recruit pre-existing BCG Th cells for the development of protective antibodies against emergent viral pathogens.

To take advantage of the pre-existing mycobacteria-specific T helper (Th) cells in BCG-vaccinated individuals, who often reside in regions of the world with high prevalence for emerging viral pathogens, a recombinant viral vaccine was designed in which the viral immunogen is fused to the mycobacteria Th cell epitope (P25) of Ag85B. Presentation of the P25 epitope by B cells specific for the viral antigen allows for cognate interactions with P25 Th cells to rapidly and potently promote virus-specific antibody responses. (Figure made in Biorender.com).