Better TB testing for health workers
Official title: THWART-TB : Testing Health Workers At Risk to advance our understanding of TB infection
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11466940 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will use frequent blood tests and new immune assays in healthcare workers in Cape Town to spot recent tuberculosis infection and track immune changes over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | February 16, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $338,656 |
| NIH project number | 4DP2AI176896-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11466940 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Health care workers in Cape Town, South Africa who do not currently have active TB and are willing to provide regular blood samples and follow-up information.
✕Less likely to help
People without occupational TB exposure, those not in the Cape Town area, or those already diagnosed and treated for active TB are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this study.
What this research studies
If you join, you would be asked to have blood draws and brief check-ins every three months while working in a high-TB setting. The team will run standard IGRA tests alongside several newer immune assays together to look for changes right when infection first appears. They will follow participants over time to see which test patterns persist, revert, or predict later active TB. The study also asks health workers about their preferences for serial TB testing to help shape future screening programs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to tests that better identify recent TB infection and help target preventive treatment to people most likely to develop active disease.
How similar studies have gone: Standard IGRA tests are widely used but cannot reliably tell recent from past infection or predict disease, and combining serial immune assays is a newer, not-yet-validated approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nathavitharana, Ruvandhi — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Nathavitharana, Ruvandhi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.