This post on the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)'s Commission on Smart Global Health Policy blog examines tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa, "which has the highest tuberculosis infection rate per population and accounts for 5 percent of the global TB burden."

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 10, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immune Network Ltd. reports that its business partner Immunitor company has launched a Phase 2 clinical trial of a novel anti-tuberculosis immunotherapy consisting of orally-delivered, heat-inactivated Mycobacterium vaccae. The new tableted preparation was formulated according to clinically validated proprietary technology developed by Immunitor company.

Following a decision by its Board, UNITAID has issued a call for letters of intent on the topic of diagnostics for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Scientists believe they have found a marker indicating genetic predisposition to tuberculosis, bringing closer the day when doctors can adjust therapies to individuals based on their genotype. Two mutations in an immune system gene called TLR1 are responsible for cellular changes that bring resistance to TB, according to research presented in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.

Only 1 percent of HIV-positive patients worldwide have been tested for tuberculosis, a curable infection that frequently kills those living with AIDS.

Tuberculosis (TB), fuelled in part by the HIV epidemic, remains a major challenge to public health. Despite the potential for most cases of tuberculosis to be curable, TB causes around two million deaths per annum. These deaths are in part due to late or missed diagnosis. Improving the performance of diagnostics and their availability are key to reducing global morbidity and mortality.

The European Respiratory Journal is today (04 August 2011) publishing the updated guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) that aim to help manage drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB).

“Use of Urine Volatile Organic Compounds To Discriminate Tuberculosis Patients from Healthy Subjects”
Analytical Chemistry

University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center will begin a Phase 1 clinical trial on a new experimental anti-tuberculosis drug called TMC207. This drug represents the first new class of anti-TB drugs in the past 60 years and it has activity against both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB.