New insights into extrapulmonary tuberculosis through immunoanalysis
Researchers from the German Center for Infection Research, the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, the University Hospital of Cologne and the LIMES Institute of the University of Bonn have deciphered the immune response in extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in the blood. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications , used multi-omics approaches, including single-cell RNA sequencing, to analyze complex signaling networks in the blood of EPTB patients.
Tuberculosis infects ten million people every year, up to 30 percent of them with EPTB, which affects organs outside the lungs. The study identified three immunotypes that reflect different disease progressions and developed gene expression-based biomarkers for the diagnosis of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. In the future, these could replace invasive tissue punctures, as they are based on easily accessible blood samples.
The findings, which include interferon and interleukin-1 signaling pathways as well as T cells and natural killer cells, pave the way for more precise diagnostics and personalized therapies. Validation is currently being carried out in the mEx-TB study at several DZIF sites in Germany.
Original Paper:
Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR
Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability. ected.
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