Personalized medicine
Development of biomarkers for personalised treatment of tuberculosis.
The aim of this project is to tailor individual specific treatment for patients with multidrug and extensively-drug resistant tuberculosis to increase the chances of recovery and cure. This involves the use of molecular resistance testing in order to specifically adapt and optimise drug treatment for each individual patient. Individually tailored durations of treatment require the use of biomarkers that provide conclusive information on the success of the treatment. Existing TB cohorts in Germany, Romania and Africa assist in the search for biomarkers and in their validation. Alongside this, DZIF scientists investigate the role of TB comorbidities in sustained treatment success.
Individual treatment of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
To date, approximately 80 patients suffering from multidrug and extensively-drug resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR tuberculosis) have been recruited as well as a further 80 patients with non-resistant tuberculosis as controls. An additional patient cohort has been recruited in a Bucharest hospital (DZIF Eastern European Study Site) and tuberculosis patients at the African Partner Institutions are also being included in the treatment. Thanks to these patient cohorts, scientists will be able to identify and validate biomarkers which enable specific individual treatment in the future.
Tuberculosis comorbidities and their impact on treatment success
The duration and success of tuberculosis treatment depends on several parameters including the development of comorbidities. Following tuberculosis treatment, DZIF scientists will observe the cohort patients over a period of at least six months following tuberculosis treatment and will analyse which diseases accompany which treatment forms.
