**7. Concluding remarks**

The cumulative work reviewed above with regard to the use of antibody formulations and vaccines suggest that antibodies if present at the right moment at the site of infection could provide protection against *M. tuberculosis*. This concept leads the way to the development of a new generation of vaccines. Such vaccines could work by eliciting specific IgA and/or IgG antibodies that could recognize and intercept the pathogen at the port of entry, primarily the mucosal surfaces, inactivating bacterial components essential for the microbial survival in the host, activating complement for direct lysis of the cells, opsonizing bacteria to promote their capture by phagocytic cells and inducing stimulation of specific cellular immune responses [103, 104].

Various antibody formulations could potentially be used as immunotherapeutic agents in combination with the conventional treatment and in the management of patients affected by Multidrug Resistant (MDR) and Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) strains.

The study of the role of specific antibodies in the defense against tuberculosis opens new possibilities for future development of new vaccines, diagnostics tools and therapies against this pathogen. It is likely that new discoveries will arise from the ongoing studies in this area that will expedite the introduction of new strategies in the fight against tuberculosis.
