Editorial: Community series in research advances of tuberculosis vaccine and its implication on COVID-19, volume III

The relentless global burden of Tuberculosis (TB), causing over 10.7 million new cases and 1.25 million deaths in 2024, demands urgent innovation [1]. The limited and variable efficacy (0-80%) of the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in adults, a challenge starkly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscores the critical need for novel prophylactic and therapeutic strategies [2][3][4][5]. This third volume of our Research Topic, "Community Series in Research Advances of Tuberculosis Vaccine and its Implication on COVID-19," collates pioneering work that bridges immunology, nanotechnology, and clinical research. The eight articles herein not only provide deep insights into TB immunopathogenesis but also present tangible advances in vaccine design, diagnostic precision, and patient stratification, with broader implications for managing intracellular infections.This collection comprises eight articles (4 Research Articles, 2 Reviews, 2 Corrections) that collectively address critical bottlenecks in TB immunology, vaccine development and immunodiagnostics (Table 1). • Induced a strong DTH response in guinea pigs (induration of 18.3 ± 1.8 mm at 10μg/ml) with no cross-reactivity to BCG.• Preclinical assessment confirmed excellent safety and specificity, supporting its potential for clinical trials.Frontiers in Immunology • Identified a 3-gene cuproptosis-related signature (ASPHD2, GK, GCH1) for PTB diagnosis with high accuracy (AUCs: 0.981, 0.928, 0.937).• The signature was linked to a significantly altered immune microenvironment in PTB patients.• GCH1 and GK expression significantly decreased after one month of treatment (p