Accomplishments

In the second year of the project, the GC#6-74 consortium is striding forward in achieving its objectives by recruiting subjects for longitudinal cohort studies and effectively establishing a functional cohesive multi-centered, multi-cultural team across the three continents.

Screening of 86 novel recombinant antigens relevant to latent TB and reactivation TB have been completed in at least 20 tuberculin skin test (TST) positive healthy household contacts at each of the field sites.

Final consensus made on the basis of the results in selecting first set of antigens for inclusion in the cohort studies across WP-3-4-5.

Expression profiling from Mtb-infected lung tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to select a set of host biomarkers

Establishment of cohorts at field sites for immuno-profiling and host expression profiling through longitudinal studies over the two years follow-up period

Establishment of HIV-positive cohorts at field sites and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) roll-out at most sites

Completion of two year follow-up of infant cohorts for studies in BCG vaccinees

Establishment of adolescent cohort in Cape Town