Professor Graham Rook presents a plenary presentation giving a broad overview of TB immunology and the potential for TB immunotherapy as a countermeasure to the long and complex courses of antibiotic treatment, at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010. He explains the careful balance between cytokines that are thought to be important for driving the progression or resolution of latent TB infection. Promising data for the potential of manipulating these cytokine...

Professor Nick Keep explores the molecular pathogenesis of TB and describes his work on TB resuscitation promoting factors, at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010. These bacterial 'cytokines' have been shown to be important for waking up dormant M.tb.

Prof. Brian Henderson talks about the role of heat shock proteins in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010. These molecular chaperones are known virulence factors in a range of pathogens and the work presented suggested a possible role in granuloma inflammation in TB.

Benjamin Irving presents work on automated analysis of the airways in CT scans for the modelling of TB at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010. This innovative project, in conjunction with colleagues from Cape Town, SA, is looking to mathematics and physics to develop a screening tool to detect TB based on digital radiography. The process aims to analyse 3D CT images of airways of patients with TB to develop a statistical model of airway deformation that can be...

Dr Clare Green presents her data on the use of urine as a diagnostic target for pulmonary TB at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010. She describes the small, cell free nucleic acids, known as transrenal DNA, that can be detected in urine of infected individuals. Previous studies have shown huge variability on the sensitivity of this assay of the detection of TB, and Dr Green’s work has examined factors that might influence this variation - such as the patient...

Dr Helen Donoghue highlights TB history of a different kind at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010. She presents her work on the detection of ancient TB from the Neolithic period, in bones from Egypt and mummified remains discovered in a Hungarian crypt. Evidence of previous TB infection can be seen directly from skeletal lesions in the bones. However, these can be confused with other illnesses and Dr Donoghue's work has focussed on the definitive detection of TB...

'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010 included a plenary presentation by Dr. Carole Reeves, an Outreach Historian. Dr Reeves gives a fascinating insight into life in a TB sanatorium from her collective history of Craig-y-Nos, South Wales. In operation from 1922, this TB Sanatorium for children and young women closed in 1959 with the introduction of the first antibiotics effective against TB. Her research began through work initiated by a previous patient, and...

Professor Stephen Gillespie presents a plenary session at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010. Professor Gillespie gives a history of TB treatment to the present day; through pre-drug therapy and the pivotal first testing of streptomycin, to combination drug trials, and then the eventual development of 6-month therapy. From there he discusses present developments in TB drug development and clinical trials, in particular the importance of collaboration illustrated...

Dr Andrew Hayward presents the overrepresentation of patients with TB in London's 'hard to reach populations' including those in prison, the homeless and drug users, at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010. Dr Hayward's department has just been awarded an NIHR program grant for the management and control for TB in hard to reach groups. He is also been representative on the NICE review group recently set up to provide guidelines for management of TB in hard to...

Suzanne Bartington presents audit findings from the Royal Free Hospital, examining compliance with NICE guidelines advocating chest X-Ray (CXR)for all with TB, at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010.

Dr Charlotte Cash reviews the role of imaging in the diagnosis of TB at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' held on 24th March 2010. Dr Cash talks about characteristic appearances, atypical presentations, and the role of imaging in obtaining tissue samples.

Dr Marc Lipman begins his plenary presentation at 'The Challenge of TB: UCL's Contribution' (UCL, 24th March 2010) by marking events of the past year including the release of the film Bright Star, documenting Keat's last years prior to his death from TB, and the death of Sir John Crofton - one of the pioneers in TB treatment - who died in 2009 aged 97 years. Dr Lipman presents figures illustrating an increase in numbers of active TB cases across the UK by 5.5% in 2009, noting a particular...