Egídio Torrado and Consuelo Micheli, researchers at the ICVS at the UMinho School of Medicine, were awarded the Research Grant 2024 from the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) for their work on tuberculosis.
The work carried out throughout Consuelo Micheli’s doctorate has as a priority the study of alveolar macrophages, which are one of the first cells to recognize and interact with the tuberculosis bacillus. However, its role in the immune response is still poorly understood. The objective of the project is to better understand how alveolar macrophages condition the immune response and determine the control or progression of tuberculosis.
Egídio Torrado, researcher at ICVS, explains that the next steps in this study involve “analyzing the response of alveolar macrophages in hosts resistant and susceptible to infection, to identify the mechanisms underlying the differential response of these cells, and how this response determines resistance or susceptibility to tuberculosis”. Consuelo Micheli adds that “with these results we hope to identify biomarkers, to predict the risk of tuberculosis progression, and immune pathways that can be intervened to improve treatment and prevention”.
Consuelo Micheli (left) and Egídio Torrado (right), ICVS / EM
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that remains one of the leading causes of death in the world. It is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also known as Koch’s bacillus. Tuberculosis is transmitted by inhaling droplets expelled by a sick person when coughing, talking or sneezing. It is a serious disease, but potentially curable with long regimens and the use of multiple antibiotics. When treatment is not completed correctly, the bacteria can become resistant to available antibiotics, making tuberculosis treatment difficult.
