The Critical Path to TB Drug Regimens (CPTR), a division of the Critical Path Institute (C-Path), was recently awarded a $1.1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to enhance its Relational Sequencing TB Data Platform (ReSeqTB), which seeks to improve global tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimens by studying drug resistance.
In addition, under a sub-award from C-Path, the Translational Genomics Research Institute Pathogen Genomics Division (TGen North) will sequence approximately 12,000 TB bacteria isolates from around the world, which will assist clinicians in more rapidly diagnosing the particular strain of the disease each patient has.
Over the next three years, TGen North will sequence DNA of the isolates for the data platform, which provides key information on TB drug resistance to worldwide researchers.
“TB can quickly develop resistance to treatments, even multiple-drug resistance,” David Engelthaler, co-director of TGen North, said. “And the degree and type of drug resistance varies from place to place. We need better ways to determine which patients should receive which specific drugs to address their infection. The ultimate goal is a more personalized, and effective, approach to treating this disease.”
Samples used for sequences have been sourced from as many as 35 countries from around the world, including areas where drug-resistant TB is present. All samples will come from public health laboratories, clinical drug trials and biobanks.
“ReSeqTB is a critical endeavor if we hope to drive the development of new diagnostics in drug-susceptibility tests to support TB patients,” Debra Hanna, executive director of CPTR, said. “The vision for ReSeqTB is to better understand TB resistance across the globe, and by partnering with scientists in our own backyard, we are another step closer to realizing this vision.”