Study by MIT and others identifies genes essential for tuberculosis bacterium’s survival during airborne transmission.

Tuberculosis bacteria rely on a family of genes that help them survive the challenging journey from one person's lungs to another person's during coughing, sneezing or talking, according to researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Scientists discovered genes in the tuberculosis bacterium that becomes essential for the pathogen's survival when it's exposed to air through coughing. These genes could be targets for new therapies that simultaneously treat infection and prevent transmission.

The COVID-19 pandemic has played a pivotal role in the resurgence of TB. Cases increased globally by 4.6% from 2020 to 2023, reversing decades of steady declines in the disease. In the US alone, TB cases rose by more than 15% from 2022 to 2023.

The Trump administration's decision to pause U.S. foreign aid would undo progress made in containing tuberculosis (TB) infections across low- and middle-income countries, putting the lives of millions at risk,

Poor treatment adherence remains a major obstacle in national tuberculosis programmes globally. Digital adherence technologies offer novel opportunities to monitor and address poor adherence. Research shows that adherence challenges are common under programmatic conditions,