Protection against Tuberculosis with Immune Based Therapy

Protection against Tuberculosis with Immune Based Therapy

Overview

  • Post By : Kumar Jeetendra

  • Source: UT South Western Medical Center

  • Date: 09 Jun,2015

In a recent research works did by scientists of UT Southwestern Medical Center new interesting mystery opens scientists of University solved the mystery that how certain immune based enzyme plays an important role in defending our body from Mycobacterium infection which is the cause of 1.5 million deaths annually.

New research is based on immune based therapy of tuberculosis which helps in proper treatment of disease within a month.

According to research,

An enzyme that acts as a sensor in the immune system – cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) – is essential for defense against the tuberculosis bacteria, the study showed. When infected with TB, mice lacking this enzyme succumbed much quicker than mice with normal cGAS activity.

“Based on this outcome, we believe that modulating cGAS activity could be a novel approach to therapy. There remains a dire need for new therapies against tuberculosis, and thus identifying pathways to stop the pathogen is of vital importance,” said Dr. Michael Shiloh,

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology at UT Southwestern, and co-senior author of the study published in Cell Host & Microbe.

TB is a bacterial infection with widespread global reach. About one-third of the world’s population is infected with the bacterium, though most infected people have no symptoms and may not know they have it. Tuberculosis is the No. 1 cause of bacteria-related death and also the leading cause of death for people infected with HIV. TB is spread by airborne personal contact with an infected individual.

For more information go through News room of UT South Western Medical Center.

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