TB 'Goldilocks' gene discovered

A gene which dictates the right level of response to tuberculosis has been identified in laboratories as being a potential treatment for the disease.

The international team of researchers have identified the LTA4H as being the gene that dictates the levels of immune response people have to tuberculosis (TB). This could dictate the type of treatment people receive in the future, with studies showing that people responded best to treatment that was tailored to them.

Dr Sarah Dunstan, head of human genetics at Oxford University Vietnam where much of the research was conducted said: "Depending on what versions of the LTA4H gene you have inherited, you could see an inflammatory response to tuberculosis that is 'too much', 'too little' or 'just right'. You are likely to benefit most from a treatment tailored to your own genes."

The research found that traditional methods of treatment are only benefiting some patients. The range of antibiotics and the steroid dexamethasone could only work on a selective group of people, as researchers used zebrafish to identify genes and biological pathways involved in the immune response to TB.

By blocking the appropriate biological pathways with drugs, they found that they could restore the right level of inflammatory response. This is a novel development outside cancer, and could lead to significant improvements in treatment.

Posted by Ben Evans