How Mycobacterium tuberculosis escapes death in macrophages

(University of Alabama at Birmingham) The bacteria that cause the devastating disease tuberculosis have the ability to escape destruction and grow after they are engulfed by lung macrophages, the immune cells that are supposed to destroy pathogens. Now researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have described key biochemical steps between the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the macrophage responsible for that ability.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news