TB Immunology Series: Expanding the Vaccines Toolbox for Tuberculosis - Paul Ogongo

Hosted by ⁠⁠⁠Wealth Okete⁠⁠⁠, The Immunology in Africa Podcast explores narratives at the nexus of immunology & Africa. We ask professors, postdocs, PhD students, and everyone in between to tell us about their journey into immunology, the questions driving their current work, and the impact they hope to make on the continent.

To support our efforts towards amplifying African stories of immunology, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠nominate a guest⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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Launching in April 2025, our special TB Immunology series and first-ever disease-focused series dives deep into the science, challenges, and success stories behind the fight to end tuberculosis.

We’re joined by leading scientists whose work in TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine development is shaping the current landscape of the disease in Africa and globally.

Whether you're actively involved in TB research or simply curious about the field, this experience promises to be both eye-opening and engaging.

The third episode in the series features Paul Ogongo, an assistant professional researcher and former postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco.

Originally from Kenya, Paul trained in his home country and South Africa before moving to UCSF for a postdoctoral position. His work has mostly explored T cell responses to TB, highlighting the roles of an important immune cell regulator, IL-17, in the control or progression of the disease.

At UCSF, Paul's investigation of T cell-associated immune responses to TB seeks to unravel distinct antigens that could improve future vaccine design against TB. Till date, BCG remains the only approved vaccine against TB; although several other potential candidates are in clinical trials.

In this episode, Paul shares key highlights from his work on TB antigens and the promise they hold for design of vaccines that could prevent TB disease progression. He also reflects on some of his experiences with failure and the key advances he anticipates in TB immunology over the next decade.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:39 - Unravelling the TB spectrum (active TB vs. subclinical TB; TB exposure vs. TB control)

08:02 - On why 'latent TB' isn't truly 'latent'

09:15 - Investigating active TB (PhD research project and findings)

16:09 - Studying TB at the lungs vs in blood

20:09 - Evaluating T cell responses to rare variable antigens (findings and implications)

32:04 - TB in diabetic individuals

36:22 - Dealing with failure

41:49 - Closing remarks: TB immunology over the coming decade

46:43 - Outro