Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered a key mechanism behind the survival instinct of tuberculosis. TB is the leading cause of death in the world from a single bacterial infection, and it kills 1.5 million people per year.
The researchers looked at how Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis, survives on fatty acids and regulates its metabolism to persist in humans for extended periods. Understanding Mtb persistence paves the way for finding new drugs and better vaccines to fight TB’s drug-resistant latent state, the researchers said.
Mtb latency is a global problem that results in TB infection escaping detection and treatment, and which contributes to overall TB illness and death.
The UAB study found a regulatory protein called WhiB3 that allows Mtb to subsist on fatty acids and adjust its metabolism to cope with stresses during infection. The findings are published in PLoS Pathogens, a journal of the nonprofit Public Library of Science.
“Our goal was to understand or come up with mechanisms for how Mtb enters, maintains and emerges from a persistent state of infection,” said Adrie J.C. Steyn, PhD, assistant professor in UAB’s Department of Microbiology and lead author on the study. “We identified the master regulatory protein of virulence lipid production: WhiB3.”
In the study, the researchers worked with Mtb cells under biosafe laboratory conditions and found that WhiB3 regulation of lipids helped keep the body’s immune system in check. The UAB team also developed a radio-labeling technique that for the first time reveals lipid changes of Mtb while growing in cultured host cells. The findings shed light on how pathogens modify their physiology to adapt to stresses during the course of infection.
Steyn conducted the research in partnership with the UAB Center for Emerging Infections and Emergency Preparedness, the UAB Center for Free Radical Biology, the UAB Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and the University of Colorado Denver. The research team includes Amit Singh, PhD; David K. Crossman, PhD; Deborah Mai, Loni Guidry, Martin I. Voskuil, PhD and Matthew B. Renfrow, PhD. Funding came from the National Institutes of Health.
Dear Helpdesk: Working in a Toxic Health Care Environment
March 28th 2024Dear Helpdesk is your steadfast companion, offering life coaching and workplace advice from 2 seasoned IPs for some of your most challenging real-life situations. Let us help you navigate the intersection between work and life, guiding you to navigate the dynamic world of infection prevention with confidence and grace. This article is on handling a toxic health care environment.
Product Locator: Spring and Early Mother's Day Gift Guide for Infection Prevention Personnel
March 27th 2024Whether it's a spring holiday, birthdays, or no reason at all, infection prevention personnel love to give and receive gifts that help at the end of a stressful day. Infection Control Today® offers some gift ideas for infection prevention personnel and their families.
Catching Up With Vangie Dennis, AORN 2022-2023 President at AORN 2024
March 26th 2024Infection Control Today (ICT) had the privilege of catching up with Vangie Dennis, MSN, RN, CNOR, CMLSO, at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN’s) International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024. As the former president of AORN and an esteemed figure in perioperative services, Vangie Dennis shared insights into her recent endeavors and the exciting new chapter she's embarked upon.
How To Optimize Your Time Management Strategies for the Busy Infection Preventionist
March 25th 2024Is your calendar resembling a chaotic masterpiece of overlapping tasks? Join the club of infection preventionists striving to balance responsibilities. Dive into proven strategies from a fellow infection preventionist to reclaim control of your time, streamline tasks, and boost productivity effectively. This is an IP Lifeline article.