Cyclic-AMP dynamics and heterogeneity in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Insights into host-pathogen interactions

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide with more than 1.3 million deaths reported in 2023. With the increase in multidrug resistant cases of TB, it is important for us to develop newer and faster acting drugs to treat TB. In addition, one-quarter of the world’s population carries a latent form of TB. During latency, M. tuberculosis has the capacity to reactivate depending upon the host immune state. As cAMP is an important secondary messenger involved in cell-cell signaling in both mycobacteria and in the host, this could play an important role in persistence and latency of TB infections. This information will guide us on designing therapeutics that target these specific pathways, offering novel therapeutics in the fight against tuberculosis. Bovine tuberculosis poses unique challenges to the one-health paradigm since it not only affects bovine animals, thereby affecting ecological health, biodiversity, dairy and meat industries, but can also be transmitted to and infect humans in the form of zoonotic tuberculosis. A one-health approach is therefore paramount due to potentially vast bovine reservoir for tuberculosis. This research, therefore, aims to be an inclusive one-health approach to potentially develop better treatments for both human and bovine tuberculosis.

Faculty Supervisor:

Neeraj Dhar

Student:

Partner:

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Biotechnology; Other

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program: