Tuberculosis Research Units Network (TBRU-N)

The Tuberculosis Research Units operate as a collaborative network designed to improve the understanding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-host interactions. During the past 20 years, there has been significant progress in tuberculosis (TB) research to better understand host-pathogen interactions, but much remains to be learned. Effective management of TB continues to be hampered by a limited understanding of the different stages of this complex disease, as well as the mechanisms that control these stages. An improved understanding of the host and pathogen mechanisms underlying heterogeneity, latency and persistence has the potential to inform novel assays to identify persons at increased risk for progression to active disease, new drugs to shorten the duration of treatment, and other interventions to prevent or improve disease outcome. Finally, some comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, malnutrition and tobacco smoking are risk factors for TB and for poor TB treatment outcomes, and inflammation in the lung is recognized as an important factor for TB pathogenesis. It is therefore important to understand how these comorbidities and inflammation impact TB progression to improve co-management.

Main Areas of Focus

Each TBRU has been established as part of a multi-disciplinary consortium of investigators and institutions with expertise in clinical research, animal models, microbiology, epidemiology, pharmacology, immunology as well as data and statistical management to characterize bacterial and host determinants that are relevant during stages of infection, disease and transmission, and the impact of bacterial and host heterogeneity on disease outcomes.

Locations

Contact Information

For more information about the TBRU network, please contact NIAIDTBRU@mail.nih.gov.

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