Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB), is distinct from most germs in its capacity to silently infect individuals for months and even years before waking up and causing active disease that can lead to severe illness and death. The immune system plays an important role in controlling the germ and keeping it dormant.

Tuberculosis (TB) has regained its place as the leading infectious killer worldwide. Annually, 1.6 million people die of this disease which is the equivalent to three TB deaths per minute. While the TB pandemic is driven by five key risk factors – undernutrition, HIV, alcohol use, tobacco use and diabetes – the extent of mismatch between their impact on TB and available research funding is unclear.

Tuberculosis (TB) disproportionately affects vulnerable populations including those with limited economic resources, HIV patients, those whose diet is deficient in nutrients and others. Resistant TB (MDR TB) does not respond to first line medications and is difficult to treat, requiring long regimens of 15-20 months that are associated with significant side effects and poor outcomes.

In 2021, an estimated 10.6 million individuals developed tuberculosis (TB) and 1.6 million died, making it the second most lethal infection in the world after SARS-CoV-2. Undernutrition, a deficiency of macronutrients and micronutrients, is the leading risk factor for TB globally, however its impact on treatment outcomes is poorly defined.

A new study reveals a striking link between malnutrition, heavy alcohol use and tuberculosis (TB) in southern India.

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) are partnering with the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) to study tuberculosis (TB). This research is supported by a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the Indo-U.S. Vaccine Action Program (VAP).