Scientists have uncovered an elegant biophysical trick that tuberculosis-causing bacteria use to survive inside human cells, a discovery that could lead to new strategies for fighting one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.
Tuberculosis kills more than a million people each year and remains a major public health crisis, particularly in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The disease is caused by mycobacteria, which have evolved sophisticated ways to hijack human immune cells and avoid being destroyed.
Tuberculosis is rampant in India. I grew up in a state where tuberculosis outbreaks are a major problem, and I was always curious about how these diseases spread. That’s what drew me to this research.”
Ayush Panda, formerly a graduate student in the laboratory of Mohammed Saleem at the National…