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Antibiotic resistance is a major public health threat, and alternatives to antibiotic therapy are urgently needed. Immunotherapy, particularly the blockade of inhibitory immune checkpoints, is a leading treatment option in cancer and autoimmunity. In this study, we used a murine model of Salmonella Typhimurium infection to investigate whether immune checkpoint blockade could be applied to bacterial infection. We found that the immune checkpoint T‐cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT) was significantly upregulated on lymphocytes during infection, particularly on CD4+ T cells, drastically limiting their proinflammatory function. Blockade of TIGIT in vivo using monoclonal antibodies was able to enhance immunity and improve bacterial clearance. The efficacy of anti‐TIGIT was dependent on the capacity of the antibody to bind to Fc (fragment crystallizable) receptors, giving important insights into the mechanism of anti‐TIGIT therapy. This research suggests that targeting immune checkpoints, such as TIGIT, has the potential to enhance immune responses toward bacteria and restore antibacterial treatment options in the face of antibiotic resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TAK-003 a recent candidate is a significant advancement to Dengvaxia. • Combination vaccination could have an extraordinary impact on schistosomiasis control. • New concepts on how to rationally design hookworm subunit vaccines. • Typhoid conjugate vaccines will reduce the global burden of typhoid fever. Tropical infectious diseases inflict an unacceptable burden of disease on humans living in developing countries. Although anti-pathogenic drugs have been widely used, they carry a constant threat of selecting for resistance. Vaccines offer a promising means by which to enhance the global control of tropical infectious diseases; however, these have been difficult to develop, mostly because of the complex nature of the pathogen lifecycles. Here, we present recently developed vaccine candidates for five tropical infectious diseases in the form of a catalog that have either entered clinical trials or have been licensed for use. We deliberate on recently licensed dengue vaccines, provide evidence why combination vaccination could have a synergistic impact on schistosomiasis, critically appraise the value of typhoid conjugate vaccines, and discuss the potential of vaccines in the efforts to eliminate vivax malaria and hookworms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]