Harnessing the TB Virulence Pathway

UAB Research Foundation
posted on 10/31/2011

Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading killer of adults, accounting for over two million deaths per year. Detection of TB is an important measure in the fight against this epidemic. Currently, two tests are used for detection of this disease, the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the whole blood IFN-assay. Unfortunately, these tests suffer from a number of performance and logistic problems. Furthermore, estimates of of sensitivity and specificity of tests for Mtb infection are hampered by lack of a gold standard, as one cannot accurately prove the presence or absence of latent Mtb infection. Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have recently discovered Rv proteins involved in the Cfp-10 secretory pathway, which may hold the key to the development of a gold standard TB test which will aid in the fight of this deadly disease.

Suggested Uses

New diagnostic tests

Advantages

A rapid diagnostic test for tuberculosis that provides conclusive evidence for the presence or absence of disease and that is easy to use in the field
Provides for an assay that will be more sensitive and specific than the currently available methods
Potential for use in combination with current diagnostics for the detection of latent Mtb infection

Innovation Details

Detailed Description

Using a novel assay to study protein-protein interaction in Mtb, UAB’s researchers have identified a family of Mtb Rv proteins involved in the Cfp-10 secretory pathway. The identification of these specific protein components presents a major advance in the study of the disease and has enabled UAB’s researchers to identify and characterize mycobacterium protein-protein interactions that may have utility in development of diagnostic test kits for tuberculosis. Detection of these specific Rv proteins, alone or in combination, in a biological sample can be used to diagnose, monitor the progression and/or detect the severity of TB in a subject. This discovery is likely to be attractive to major drug companies as well as governmental agencies and world health organizations to combat the spread of this epidemic disease.

File Number: U2006-0038, U2006-0073 TB Diagnostics

Web site: http://www.uab.edu/uabrf

Disease: Infectious Diseases

Other Information:

MANAGING LICENSING ASSOCIATE

LEONA FITZMAURICE, PH.D.

fitzmaur@uab.edu (205) 934-7868

IP PROTECTION

U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 12/281,082, PCT filed March 1, 2007.

Australian, Canadian, European, Japanese and New Zealand patent applications, PCT filed March 1, 2007.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Andries Steyn, Ph.D., Department of Microbiology, UAB.