Breakthrough for research team on TB
Guwahati: A team of researchers that used samples from a genetically-homogenous tribe of Arunachal Pradesh to find the spot in the human body where the tuberculosis bacteria lies dormant, has been able to decode, localize and understand the conditions in which the bacteria lives in the Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) of the bone marrow.
The team is now planning to extend its study to other
genetically-homogenous tribes of Arunachal and Assam.
The
findings were published in an international journal that was
recently posted online. According to the new study, the stem
cells that are infected with the tuberculosis-causing bacteria,
the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB), hide in the low oxygen
(hypoxia) zone of the bone marrow.
The Idu mishmi
tribe of Arunachal was chosen for the study due to its genetic
homogeneity. According to the researchers, such a community has
a greater chance of lessening the variations involved in the
collection and enrichment of bone marrow and less record of HIV
infection.
"After the previous study, we focused on
localizing the bacteria and were able to understand the
conditions in which the dormant MTB resides in the MSC of the
bone marrow," said Ista Pullu, a researcher and senior
gynaecologist. Pullu collected samples from the community a few
years ago.
Bikul Das, an associated investigator at
the department of immunology and infectious disease at Forsyth
Institute (affiliated to Harvard University), who has been
engaged in the study of altruistic stem cells for more than a
decade, has been at the forefront of this research project.
"The
findings raise the possibility of MTB adopting a
'wolf-in-stem-cell-clothing' strategy by hiding in the hypoxic
area of the bone marrow. These findings explain why it is
difficult to develop a vaccine against tuberculosis," said Das.
He added that the immune cells activated by the vaccine agent
may not be able to reach the hypoxic site of the bone marrow and
target the disguised MTB.
The study was conducted
through collaboration between Kavi Krishna Laboratory that was
set up by Das in the city, the Forsyth Institute and the Dr
Rakesh Bhatnagar Laboratory in Jawaharlal Nehru University
(JNU).
"With the support of this research team, we
were able to find the exact location of the bone marrow where
the TB bacteria hides. I reasoned that if we can identify the
region of the bone marrow where the stem cell type hides, we
will be able to find ways of targeting them and, thus, eliminate
them. These are our latest findings on the TB bacteria and the
Cd271+ stem cells," said Das.
Source:
The Times of India
