How tuberculosis and your immune cells interact
Network Dissection of Host-Pathogen Interactions in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection
This work aims to find key genes in the tuberculosis bacterium and in human immune cells that could be targeted together to help people clear TB infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Seattle Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11140486 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use human blood to grow the immune cells that tuberculosis infects and will manipulate genes in both the bacteria and those immune cells to see which changes push infection toward clearance or disease. They will measure gene activity in both the host cells and the bacteria after these perturbations to map the molecular interactions that determine infection outcomes. The team will look for pairs of targets—one in the bacterium and one in the host—that work together to reduce bacterial survival and harmful inflammation. The findings are intended to point toward combined host-and-pathogen treatment strategies and reveal why some infections persist quietly for years.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would include adults with latent or active TB, and healthy adults willing to donate blood so their immune cells can be studied.
Not a fit: People needing immediate clinical care or urgent TB treatment are unlikely to receive direct medical benefit from this laboratory-focused research in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could suggest new combination approaches that help the immune system clear TB and reduce damaging inflammation.
How similar studies have performed: Related laboratory studies of host-directed therapies and bacterial gene profiling have shown promise at the bench, but jointly targeting host and pathogen networks is a newer approach not yet proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
Seattle, United States
- Seattle Children's Hospital — Seattle, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ma, Shuyi — Seattle Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Ma, Shuyi
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 below.