Host genetics can contribute to lung damage in severe tuberculosis
Friday, July 4, 2014 - 20:30
in Health & Medicine
A third of the global population is infected with the bacterial pathogen that causes tuberculosis. Most carriers control the infection and are asymptomatic, but severe forms of the disease kill over a million people every year. A new article now identifies a factor made by the host that exacerbates lung damage in severe TB. The results also suggest why gene mutations that render the factor inactive are common.