Groundbreaking research by Welsh scientists is being used to develop a more effective vaccine against TB.
A team of researchers at Aberystwyth University has discovered a protein, which is capable of waking up dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria that causes TB in humans.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affects the lung. It may spread to other organs.
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This discovery has now been licensed to a not for profit organisation, which will develop a new vaccine that offers better protection.
The vaccine could begin clinical trials next year.
The team of researchers at Aberystwyth first discovered a family of proteins that were able to resuscitate bacteria found harmlessly in and around the human body in the late 1990s.
![Tuberculosis in Children - Magnitude of the problem]( "Tuberculosis in Children - Magnitude of the problem")
In India nearly 3-4 million children have tuberculosis and another 94 million are at risk for this disease. The annual infection rate is about 3% and usual sources are adults.
When these bacteria were awoken they were more susceptible to attack from antibiotics.
The research team, which was led by Professors Mike Young and Doug Kell, at Aberystwyth University, together with Moscow based Prof Arseny Kaprelyants and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, went on to discover the corresponding genes associated with TB.
"Current TB treatments can go on for over six months and can still leave bacteria in the body that can cause the disease when they resume active growth and multiplication," Prof Young, now based in Aberystwyth University's newly formed Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Studies, said.
"Our discovery, which is now being developed into a vaccine, might help prevent the establishment of persistent infections in the first place or, alternatively, it might prevent persisting organisms in individuals with latent TB from reawakening at all.
"TB claims around 1.7 million people around the world every year. I hope that our research will now be rapidly translated into a vaccine that can help as many of these people as possible," he added.
Dr Alf Game, BBSRC Deputy Director of Research, said, "This discovery came out of research in the basic biology of a different bacterium. It shows that we need to strive to understand the fundamental workings of the world around us and from that we can identify how to tackle challenges, such as dangerous diseases, that we all face."
Source: ANI
SRM
The team of researchers at Aberystwyth first discovered a family of proteins that were able to resuscitate bacteria found harmlessly in and around the human body in the late 1990s.
Tuberculosis in Children - Magnitude of the problem
In India nearly 3-4 million children have tuberculosis and another 94 million are at risk for this disease. The annual infection rate is about 3% and usual sources are adults.
Advertisement
When these bacteria were awoken they were more susceptible to attack from antibiotics.
The research team, which was led by Professors Mike Young and Doug Kell, at Aberystwyth University, together with Moscow based Prof Arseny Kaprelyants and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, went on to discover the corresponding genes associated with TB.
"Current TB treatments can go on for over six months and can still leave bacteria in the body that can cause the disease when they resume active growth and multiplication," Prof Young, now based in Aberystwyth University's newly formed Institute of Biological, Rural and Environmental Studies, said.
"Our discovery, which is now being developed into a vaccine, might help prevent the establishment of persistent infections in the first place or, alternatively, it might prevent persisting organisms in individuals with latent TB from reawakening at all.
"TB claims around 1.7 million people around the world every year. I hope that our research will now be rapidly translated into a vaccine that can help as many of these people as possible," he added.
Dr Alf Game, BBSRC Deputy Director of Research, said, "This discovery came out of research in the basic biology of a different bacterium. It shows that we need to strive to understand the fundamental workings of the world around us and from that we can identify how to tackle challenges, such as dangerous diseases, that we all face."
Source: ANI
SRM
Sputum Test
Pulmonary tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.It primarily involves lungs and extend to other parts of the body.
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 Study Says TB Bacterium Uses Sugar Coat to Become Attractive to Lung CellsOhio State University researchers have found that the most common strain of TB bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has learnt to coat itself with a sugar called mannose, which makes | Advertisement
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