Scientists Believe Nanocurcumin Can Enhance BCG Vaccine Efficacy

by Edward Lucas Business Development Head

Remember the time when your grandmother used to give your milk with turmeric and ginger to cure cough and flu? Well, she wasn’t wrong after all as the properties of turmeric curcumin indeed reduce inflammation, and cure cough and cold. Although turmeric scientifically known as Curcuma longa is a vital part of Indian people, it recently caught the attention of the western people due to its number of health benefits.

The properties of turmeric curcumin that include anti-oxidants, anti-inflammation, and anti-aging are beneficial when it comes to healing wounds, increasing immunity, and reducing chronic inflammation in the body. However, the recent study in the field of science highlights that consumption of turmeric curcumin supplement also activates the innate immune cells known as macrophages and dendritic cells.

Nanocurcumin and human health

As we mentioned in some of our earlier posts that more studies are required for this field of science to come up with solid pieces of evidence and this nano curcumin study is one of them. Performed on the mice models, this particular study helped scientists to acknowledge that curcumin-which is the golden component of turmeric can enhance the efficacy of the BCG vaccine when used in a form of the nanoparticle.

This enhanced vaccination is claimed to provide protection against pulmonary TB. The researchers have found that soon after injecting the curcumin nanoparticles into the mice with BCG enhanced the activation of immune memory cells that can shield the body system from TB infection in the long run.

They also found that this vaccination is also effective against meningeal TB in young children. However, the protection doesn’t last as long as the host-protective immune response diminishes over time.

How does nano curcumin work in the body?

On the basis of the experimental results, scientists revealed that curcumin nanoparticles enhance the vaccination efficacy in two important ways: -

· First: It induces effector memory T cells

· Second: It induces central memory T cells

In the children, the vaccine works by inducing two types of immune cells, first; effector memory T cells, and second; central memory T cells. On one side, effector memory T cells play a vital role by building up the immediate immune wall that is required to tackle down and kill TB bacteria. On the other hand, the central memory T cells provide the long-term protection in children against TB cells for the long-term. But the effect diminishes over time and eventually disappears. Hence, adults are again venerable against TB cells.

Scientists are also suggesting ways to further enhance the efficacy of the BCG vaccine. While one of them is by increasing the number of memory cells so they last longer into the system. In nature, there is a constant balance between the central memory cells and effector memory cells. Altering this natural ratio, however, can enhance the effectiveness of the BCG vaccine.

In the end, scientists are more excited about this discovery with the “Turmeric Curcumin” and are hoping that further studies will take it as a foundation to build vaccinations to fight back deadly diseases like; cancer, chronic inflammation, diabetes, and more.