Antibody function may help keep TB under control

A study led by investigators from the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard finds evidence that antibody protection may help control infection with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB). In their study receiving online publication in Cell, the research team describes finding consistent differences in both the structure and function of antibodies targeting the TB bacteria between individuals with active TB disease and those with latent TB, which neither produces symptoms nor can be transmitted. The findings may lead to better ways of distinguishing between active and latent disease and to a more effective vaccine against a disease that kills more than 1.5 million people each year.