Tuberculosis

UCSF has extensive expertise in basic, clinical, and applied research on tuberculosis (TB). Our integrated approach to our work allows us to develop evidence in support of programmatic interventions and changes in global health policy. We provide laboratory consultation, training, and capacity building for molecular epidemiologic based research have on-going collaborations all over the world.

Our current projects are funded by a wide variety of sources including The National Institutes of Health, USAID, WHO, Gates Foundation, and other private grant-making groups. We conduct research, provide trainings and technical research and run clinical trials in the US and in several resource-poor countries including Vietnam, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and others.

Visit UCSF TB for an overview of Tuberculosis Activities at UCSF.


Clinical Trials

  • The purpose is to conduct clinical research in the areas of diagnosis and treatment of active and latent tuberculosis through multi-phase clinical trials.
  • The mission of the TBTC is to conduct programmatically relevant clinical, laboratory and epidemiologic research concerning the diagnosis, clinical management, and prevention of tuberculosis infection and disease.
  • The aim of this project is to determine whether decentralized TB diagnostic services (mobile-phone based microscopy at health posts and GeneXpert at district health centers) and a community-based education campaign increase TB case detection in Hanoi, Vietnam.
  • The goal of this project is to determine the test characteristics of the QFT-GIT with PAMP addition as compared to the standard QFT-GIT in a cohort of patients with active pulmonary TB and in a cohort of healthy patients with no known TB risk factors.

Laboratory-Based Research

  • This study will determine if nucleic acid amplification tests for Mycobacterium tuberculosis applied to a novel research specimen, oral wash, are accurate and cost-effective for diagnosis of TB in HIV-infected patients and for prediction of the long term risk of treatment failure or relapse.
  • This project is collecting preliminary data on the characteristics and kinetics of known mycobacterial proteins on human exosomes in blood and urine in preparation for a larger scale proteomic discovery evaluation and clinical validation of their potential to serve as a surrogate markers of treatment response.
  • The aim of this project is to compare peripheral and local cytokine responses for the immunodiagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in Kampala, Uganda.
  • This research aims to establish whether the genetically diverse strains of M. tuberculosis induce different innate and adaptive responses amongst and between select ethnicities, and thus possibly paving the way for tuberculosis vaccines tailored to specific populations.
  • This project uses the molecular technique of RFLP pattern analysis to describe the distribution and dynamics of urban tuberculosis. It also aims to identify M. TB and human host genes associated with increases in virulence/resistance to infection and disease.
  • The goal of this project is to identify genetic mutations in M. tuberculosis that may influence transmissibility and pathogenicity. Because the effects of multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) strains on the global tuberculosis epidemic are not yet understood, increased knowledge about the biology and natural history of MDR and XDR strains may be helpful in modeling the disease spread and developing approaches to preventive interventions and treatment.
  • This project is directed to evaluating an exosome-focused TB diagnostic using samples provided by the Gates Foundation.
  • This grant supports a study of the epidemiology of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis in pastoralist populations in rural Tanzania

Training

  • This award supports a mentored experience for a junior faculty member in developing biomarkers for TB in high-burden settings.
  • The purpose of this project is to establish and operate a center for training and clinical consultation for tuberculosis for the western United States.
  • The purpose of this contract is to develop Implementation guides and training modules related to diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis.

Technical Assistance

  • • The aim of this project is to evaluate a multi-faceted intervention to improve adherence to international guidelines for evaluation of TB suspects at rural health centers in Uganda.
  • • This project provides short- and long-term technical assistance to USAID operating units in implementing and scaling-up priority interventions in accordance with the WHO-recommended STOP TB Strategy and the Global MDR-TB and XDR-TB Response Plan in Tier 1 focus countries.

Faculty