Project description
Using genomics to stay ahead of drug-resistant TB
Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health threat. Some TB strains no longer respond to rifampicin, one of the main drugs used to treat tuberculosis, and are spreading in high-burden areas. At the same time, early signs of resistance to bedaquiline, a newer and crucial treatment, are raising concerns. The ERC-funded DiSrupT RR-TB project brings genomic precision directly into frontline care to confront this growing threat. In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, researchers are testing a system that sequences TB genomes from sputum and delivers automated results to clinicians. The goal is to treat patients and interrupt transmission chains. DiSrupT RR-TB could redefine how genomics is used in TB control.
Objective
The DiSrupT RR-TB pragmatic cluster randomized trial (CRT) will tackle the ongoing public health threat of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) and prevent the emergence of bedaquiline-resistant tuberculosis (BDQR-TB) as a new public health crisis. The trial aims to evaluate an innovative all-in-1 solution for whole genome sequencing (WGS): the recently launched QIAseq xHYB Mtb assay for WGS directly on sputum (dWGS) in combination with Illumina sequencing and the novel digital MAGMA-MICK platform for automated analysis, interpretation, and communication of dWGS results to health care workers. The intervention aims to provide optimal treatment for all patients (precision medicine) and to reduce transmission of RR-TB in high-burden settings by breaking transmission chains in hotspots and superspreading events (precision public health). The trial will take place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and address four objectives to provide a holistic evaluation of the intervention's impact: (1) reduction in the recent transmission rate of RR-TB, (2) prevention of a rise in the proportion of cases of BDQR-TB that are due to transmission versus acquisition, (3) increase in timely initiation of effective treatment regimens for patients with BDQR-TB and (4) improved treatment outcomes of BDQR-TB. Data analysis will employ causal inference methodologies, including the difference-in-difference method for the cluster-level analyses (objectives 1 and 2), and inverse probability weighting for the individual-level analyses (objectives 3 and 4). The methodological rigor of the pragmatic CRT design will generate results with high internal and external validity, which is needed to inform policy and practice. If the intervention is shown to be effective and feasible, the trial will represent a paradigm shift in how genomic data can be utilised in public health interventions in low-resource countries and make a transformative contribution to infectious disease control efforts.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine pneumology tuberculosis
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
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