urine isoniazid testing at point-of-care to support TB treatment
Official title: Integrating point-of-care urine isoniazid testing into routine care for tuberculosis disease to detect medication nonadherence and improve treatment outcomes
Funded at Tufts University Boston · NIH-11394859 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A simple urine test done at clinics helps identify TB patients who aren’t taking their medicines, so care teams can intervene early to improve outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 7, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $349,050 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI182659-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11394859 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
TB patients starting or continuing treatment who are at risk of nonadherence.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without adherence challenges or those not engaged in routine care may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests a cheap, quick urine test for isoniazid to see if TB patients are taking their medicines as prescribed. It will follow patients over time to see how the test results relate to treatment success, relapse, and survival. Researchers will study how best to use the test in routine clinic visits, what challenges clinics face, and what helps patients stay adherent. The work combines clinical care, behavioral insights, and implementation science to support real-world use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, clinics could detect nonadherence early and tailor support to improve TB outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show urine isoniazid can reflect recent adherence and predict outcomes, supporting this approach’s potential.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts University Boston
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Subbaraman, Ramnath — Tufts University Boston
- Study coordinator: Subbaraman, Ramnath
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Coronary disease and immune activation in people with HIV and tuberculosis coinfection
This research looks at how having HIV and latent tuberculosis together might raise the risk of heart disease, and what immune changes are involved.
-
Pulmonary rehabilitation to reduce breathing problems after tuberculosis
A program of guided exercise and breathing training to help adults who have recovered from TB breathe better and feel healthier.
-
Pulmonary rehab to reduce breathing troubles after TB
A program of pulmonary rehabilitation is being studied to help adults who have completed TB treatment avoid ongoing lung problems and improve daily breathing.
-
Air pollution and tuberculosis spread in Kampala, Uganda
This project looks at whether dirty air from PM2.5 particles makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within urban slum households in Kampala, Uganda.
-
Air pollution and TB spread in Ugandan urban slums
This project explores whether exposure to air pollution makes tuberculosis more likely to spread within households in a crowded Ugandan slum.
-
Air pollution and TB transmission in Kampala’s urban slums
This project looks at whether air pollution from PM2.5 makes tuberculosis spread more easily from infected people to their neighbors in urban slums of Kampala, Uganda.
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.