Patient’s own bone-marrow stem cells could treat resistant TB

Patients' own bone-marrow stromal (stem) cells could be used to treat resistant tuberculosis (TB), according to a preliminary study by an international research team. Conventional treatment for multi-drug resistant TB uses a combination of antibiotics which are toxic to patients. In this study, published today in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine , researchers claim using patients' own bone-marrow stromal cells is safe and could help overcome the body's excessive inflammatory response, repair and regenerate inflammation-induced damage to lung tissue, and lead to improved cure rates. The World Health Organization estimates that in Eastern Europe, Asia, and South Africa 450,000 people have multi-drug resistant TB, and around half of these will fail to respond to existing treatments. TB bacteria trigger an inflammatory response in immune cells and surrounding lung tissue that can cause immune dysfunction and tissue damage. Bone-marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are known to migrate to areas of lung injury and inflammation and repair damaged tissue. They also modify the body's immune response and could boost the clearance of TB bacteria.