TB-RISK version 1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Risk-stratification of TB infection
IRAS ID
220913
Contact name
Ajit Lalvani
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is a deadly infectious disease that affects the lungs of millions worldwide, and kills more people than HIV per year. In addition, one-third of the world’s population is infected with the TB bacteria, but is otherwise healthy-this state is called latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), and can progress to TB disease sometimes.
Depending on how one’s immune system responds to it, exposure to the TB bacteria (through contact with someone with TB disease), can result in different outcomes. Half of the people exposed to the TB bacteria are resistant to it and do not get infected, while the other half develop LTBI, which can progress to TB disease in 5-15% cases (highest risk in the first 5 years after infection, after which the risk reduces).
The exact mechanisms of interaction between the immune system and the TB bacteria that result in the above states are not known, which is why our toolkit for tackling TB is limited and ancient (for example, the BCG vaccine dates back to 1921 and the Tuberculin Skin Test to 1907). Understanding the body’s immune response in the different states following TB exposure is therefore essential for developing effective TB control tools.
This study will describe immune responses to TB by looking to see which genes are switched on or off, which proteins appear or disappear, and how the immune cells change physically in people at the different states across the TB exposure spectrum. This will help us understand how the body’s immune system fights TB infection, why some people who are exposed get infected whilst others remain uninfected, and why only some people who have a TB infection develop disease. This will in turn help us make new and more accurate tests to diagnose of TB and better vaccines to protect people from tuberculosis.REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1089
Date of REC Opinion
16 Aug 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion