For the first time in over a century, hope is rising against one of humanity’s oldest killers — tuberculosis.

Every year, more than a million lives are lost to this silent disease. In poor regions where antibiotics are scarce, it steals parents, children, and dreams — one breath at a time. Yet today, scientists at MIT believe they may be closer than ever to changing that story.

More than 100 years ago, doctors introduced the BCG vaccine, which nearly wiped out TB in countries like the U.S. But its power fades in adults, and TB has quietly returned — with thousands of new cases recorded in 2024, the highest in over a decade.

Now, researchers are testing a new approach. By studying how the body’s white blood cells react to TB bacteria, they’ve discovered 24 tiny protein fragments that could teach the immune system to recognize and destroy the disease before it spreads. “There’s still a huge global burden we want to change,” said MIT’s Bryan Bryson.

If successful, this next-generation vaccine could save millions — especially in nations where hope is often the rarest medicine. And perhaps, a hundred years from now, people will remember this moment as the one where science finally caught its breath again.