Study: Tuberculosis survives by using host system against itself

In a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, scientists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) releases RNA into infected cells. This RNA stimulates the production of a compound known as interferon beta that appears to support the growth of the pathogen. As part of the study the researchers found that mice lacking a key protein required for responding to foreign RNA and therefore required for interferon beta production were better able to control the MTB infection. The discovery was a surprise to the researchers, as interferon beta is essential to controlling several viral infections. “The results suggest that our immune response to mycobacterial RNA is beneficial for the pathogen and bad for the host. It’s the total opposite of viral infections,” said Jeff Schorey, George B. Craig Jr. Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame and co-author of...