If you live in the United States, you are unlikely to come into contact with the microbe that causes tuberculosis. Your odds of encountering the microbe are so low, in fact, that risk factors for the disease can easily go unnoticed: If you happened to carry a gene that predisposed you to tuberculosis, you likely...
Tag: <span>Tuberculosis</span>
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Tuberculosis survives by using host system against itself, study finds
In a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, scientists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) releases RNA into infected cells. This RNA stimulates the production of a compound known as interferon beta that appears to support the growth of the pathogen. Jeff Schorey talks...
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New approach to fight tuberculosis, a leading cause of death worldwide
Scientists in the San Francisco Bay Area identify nearly 200 potential drug targets GLADSTONE INSTITUTES SAN FRANCISCO, CA–August 16, 2018–Tuberculosis is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Nearly 2 million people die every year from this infectious disease, and an estimated 2 billion people are chronically infected. The only vaccine, developed almost...
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Repurposing promising cancer drugs may lead to a new approach to treating tuberculosis
Promising experimental cancer chemotherapy drugs may help knock out another life-threatening disease: tuberculosis (TB). A new study published by scientists at Texas Biomedical ResearchInstitute in San Antonio pinpoints a mechanism in regulating cell death called apoptosis that is a potential new target for helping to control the bacterial infection (Mycobacterium tuberculosis or M.tb) that causes the...
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Beyond killing tuberculosis
How can we tolerate an infection without eliminating a pathogen? IMAGE: THIS IS A COLORED X-RAY OF A PATIENT'S CHEST SHOWING DISSEMINATED, OR MILIARY, TUBERCULOSIS (TB) IN THE LUNGS AND IF LEFT UNTREATED, IT HAS ALMOST 100 PERCENT MORTALITY RATE. Montreal, May 11 2018 — Historically, our view of host defense against infection was that we...
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Smartphone app keeps an ‘eye’ on daily tuberculosis therapy
Johns Hopkins researchers report success with a smart phone video-based app that substitutes for a daily in-person visit by a healthcare worker required for tuberculosis treatment known as directly observed therapy, or DOT. The preliminary study showed that the app may be less costly and may improve privacy concerns raised by patients compared to in-person...
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Antibacterial combination could fight drug-resistant tuberculosis
Ceftazidime-avibactam has potent sterilizing activity against highly drug-resistant tuberculosis Pairing the antibiotic ceftazidime with the enzyme inhibitor avibactam may be an effective treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis, a new study reports. This antibacterial drug combination – already in clinical use for Gram-negative bacterial infections – could aid in stemming the growing global drug-resistant tuberculosis crisis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (or...
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Scientists develop a quick, cheap and portable test for diagnosing tuberculosis
This photomicrograph reveals Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria using acid-fast Ziehl-Neelsen stain; Magnified 1000 X. The acid-fast stains depend on the ability of mycobacteria to retain dye when treated with mineral acid or an …more A microchip-based test developed by A*STAR researchers can diagnose tuberculosis in 15 minutes. The test meets the speed, cost, accessibility and disposal...