How are tuberculosis rooted and expanded?

2003/07/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Medikuntza

Researchers at the University of North Carolina analyze how the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis faces the immune system. Thanks to this research, the bacteria discover that it uses a protein secretion system to escape the immune system and spread the disease.

The genes secA1 and secA2 are found in the genome of the bacteria. The first knew that it was essential for the bacteria, but they did not know what its function was. Now they have seen that the key to virulence is in the secA2 gene, since the protein that encodes it is related to the system of secretion of pathogenic factors. In addition, this protein helps the bacteria expand in the lungs.

In addition, molecules related to the virulence of the bacteria have been identified and it is believed that this will contribute to the obtaining of new curative drugs.

TB kills two million people a year, especially in developing countries, and one-third of the world's population is contaminated.