However, Dr. Liu's publication in 2007 and 2008 may help to settle the dilemma. In his 2007 publication, Dr. Liu hypothesized that cell wall lipids might be responsible in the differential virulence observed amongst BCG vaccine strains3. In order to validate that, Dr. Liu analyzed cell wall lipids from twelve BCG vaccine strains using a technique called 2D-TLC. Results from Dr. Liu's experiment suggested that three of the twelve BCG vaccine strains (namely, BCG-Japan, -Glaxo, and -Moreau) were unable to synthesize PDIMs and PGLs. Interestingly, publications from other researchers suggest that the likelihoods of BCG-Japan, -Glaxo, and -Moreau to induce a side effect is much lower than those of other strains (see table 1)3, 15. Taken together, these results indicate that much safer vaccines can be produced by using M. bovis strains that lack a wild type PDIM/PGL cell wall …show more content…
As such, new therapeutic treatments and vaccinations are urgently required. Dr. Liu's discoveries of a global gene regulator (Lsr2), a novel biotin biosynthesis enzyme MMAR_2770, and his work on BCG vaccines all can potentially offer leads for new anti-mycobacterial management. Currently, beside working on Lsr2 and BCG vaccines, Dr. Liu's lab is also identifying metabolic pathways that are potential targets for drug development. Dr. Liu's continuing studies on the molecular factors that contribute to the virulence of Mtb will undoubtedly provide addition insights as to how TB can be