Protein to bust tuberculosis cells found

The World Health Organisation says that tuberculosis is a leading cause of death worldwide along with HIV which claimed 15 lakh lives in 2014. Of this around 2.2 lakh were in India.

The protein secreted by the tuberculosis bacteria has been named as Rv1988. The scientists conducted tests on Human Cell Lines and on the cells of mice and found that Rv1988 enters the nucleus of a healthy cell and modulates the genes which are important for mounting an immune response against Mtb.

This happens through a process known as 'methylation' of Histone H3, an important protein required for maintaining the immune function of the cell.

Now that the destructive protein and how it affects immunity has been found, CDFD scientists are planning to take it to the next level and conduct tests on cells obtained from TB patients.

It will be mainly to verify if methylation of Histone H3 occurs in human cells too and if it does, then at which stage of the disease.

This will also have an impact on TB drugs. Much more effective drugs can be developed to pin point the Rv1988 protein and prevent it from destroying immunity, rather than administering drugs for the entire bacteria which is commonly found in human beings.

Another major outcome of this finding is that if methylation is proved in cells obtained from humans it can prove as a 'bio marker'. In simple terms, in future, cells from a human being can be taken, checked for methylation and if found, immediately drugs can be administered for prevention.