Human Genomics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Disease

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe study of the genetic basis of tuberculosis pathogenesis has benefited from powerful technological innovations, a more structured definition of latent and clinical manifestations of the disease, and the application of functional genomic approaches. This short review aims to summarize recent advances and to provide a link with results of previous human genetic studies of tuberculosis susceptibility.Recent FindingsTranscriptomics has been shown to be a useful tool to predict progression from latency to clinical disease while functional genomics has traced the molecular events that link pathogen-triggered gene expression and host genetics. Resistance to infection withMycobacterium tuberculosis has been revealed to be strongly impacted by host genetics. Host genomics of clinical disease has been shown to be most powerful when focusing on carefully selected clinical entities and possibly by considering host-pathogen combinations.SummaryFuture studies need to build on the latest molecular findings to define disease subtypes to successfully elucidate the human genetic component in tuberculosis pathogenesis.

Source: Current Genetic Medicine Reports - July 25, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research