Project description
Improving tuberculosis eradication programmes
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a medical health threat with existing control programmes failing to contain disease transmission. This highlights the need for a significant advancement in understanding TB epidemiology. Funded by the European Research Council, the TB-ACCELERATE project proposes to apply whole genome sequencing to provide important insight into TB epidemiology and evolution. The multidisciplinary approach of the project aims to provide answers to previously elusive questions and improve TB control programmes globally. Researchers will obtain genomic information from populations with low-burden disease and use it to better understand TB transmission. The identification of TB risk factors will help improve model design and lead to the development of innovative strategies, ultimately accelerating global TB eradication.
Objective
"When the scale of the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic was highlighted by its declaration as a ""Global Emergency"" by WHO in 1993, it was envisaged that the efficient use of existing tools would result in a progressive decline towards eradication. This has not occurred. At the current pace of decline in TB incidence the Millennium objective to eradicate it by 2050 will not be met. Predictions of epidemiological models were inaccurate and current control programs and technologies have shown their limitations to control the transmission of the disease. To overcome these limitations we need a technological, methodological and conceptual leap forward that can reveal the unknowns of TB epidemiology. I propose whole genome sequencing (WGS) as the technology that can mediate this advance. While WGS has been applied mostly to retrospective datasets I propose to use it in prospective samples from a low-burden region at a population scale. Genome information will fill the gap between epidemiology and evolution to have a direct impact on public health. This will allow to develop innovative methodologies to describe transmission at an unprecedented resolution and as a consequence to differentiate among risks factors associated to the bacteria, the host, the environment and their interactions. Elucidation of these factors will lead to better models used to design new strategies and accelerate global TB eradication. In addition, I will show how the real-time integration of data in public eHealth systems combined with in situ interventions will accelerate TB eradication. The strength of the project resides in its multidisciplinary approach to TB epidemiology that will provide answers to yet-out-of-reach questions. It will lead to improving health status at the local level as well as to epidemiological and control programs at a global scale. In summary, the project will open new ways to foster the long sought outcome of the tuberculosis community: TB eradication."
Fields of science
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthepidemiology
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinepneumologytuberculosis
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsantibiotics
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacydrug resistancemultidrug resistance
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomes
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-STG - Starting GrantHost institution
28006 Madrid
Spain