Two New Rutgers Research Studies Into The Diagnosis of TB Released

Rutgers Researchers Identify Bacterial Factors in Tuberculosis Relapse

Assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Roberto Colangeli’s study recently appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine. Photo by Devy Kumaran
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A new Rutgers New Jersey Medical School study shows that most people at high-risk for tuberculosis (TB) relapse can be identified by testing the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria that causes TB before the patient begins treatment. The study, led by Roberto Colangeli, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, and David Alland, professor and chief of infectious disease in the Department of Medicine, appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The first article reports that patients can be treated for TB for four months instead of six months. They also identify which patients should be treated for more than six months to achieve a cure.

“The standard six-month, multi-drug therapy increases the risks of toxic effects, treatment non-adherence and development of drug resistance, and it also puts a burden on health systems,” said Alland. “Reducing treatment times, by even two months, would potentially mean dramatic savings for public health programs as well as better treatment results among people infected with TB.”

To read the second article, check back tomorrow.