Figure 1.
Immunotherapy schedule for evaluation of a potential vaccine candidate in a Mtb latently infected mouse model. Mice were randomly divided into groups A and B. (A) For Mtb latently infected group: mice were intraperitoneally challenged with 5 × 105 CFU of Mtb (t = 0 day), followed by chemotherapeutic treatment twice a week for 4 weeks (2 weeks after challenge) or NS as an infection control. (B) Normal group: mice were injected and treated with NS on days 0 and 14. Except for the infection control group of group A that was not immunized, the other mice were separately inoculated with one dose of AEC/BC02 and BC02 six times at 10-day intervals. Mice in all groups were euthanized at 14, 42, 69, 76, 99, or 106 days for immunological, bacterial load, and pathological analysis.