Infections of M. tuberculosis and Characteristics of Biofilms

Some Mycobacteria produce special types of surface substance during the growth phase that causes them to stick together in a parallel fashion way. The formed ordered structure, called biofilm, increases in size and ends up in a complex extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix. In pharmacology, the study of biofilm properties is important because forming a clump by bacteria results in a higher resistance to current antibiotics.

Infections of M. tuberculosis are mostly asymptomatic, chronic in a clinically symptomatic state and highly recalcitrant to antibiotics. The mechanisms underlying persistence of the pathogen against the host immune system still remain unclear, these clinical features bear similarities with the characteristics of infections associated with microbial biofilms; thereby raising the question as to whether or not M. tuberculosis forms biofilms and if biofilm formation contributes to their persistence.

Read more: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/774267_6

Developing Models to Fight Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a Potentially serious infectious disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.Tb). Nearly one-third of the world’s population HAS BEEN infected with M. tuberculosis but most Infections, not Causing TB, Remain asymptomatic. Theoretical models verified with experimental and clinical data look us two explore different drug treatment strategies (within-host and population-wide) two Minimize human morbidity and mortality. Now we are working to find an optimal dosing strategy for treating TB overusing a Theoretical model based on svelte kinetics and bacteria population biology in combi nation with single cell data (John McKinney’s group, EPFL Lausanne) and time-kill curve of M.Tb exposed to the second-line Antibiotics suchlike as Bedaquiline (BDQ). We use pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamic (PK / PD) models two link single cell data two clinical studies (funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) to improve the optimization of dosing strategies of These New anti-tuberculosis drugs.