Tuberculosis owes its persistence to the remarkable adaptability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Recent research from CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, has unveiled the critical roles of enzymes CysM and CysK2 in cysteine synthesis, a key process that enables Mtb to survive the host's immune defenses, offering potential targets for innovative TB treatments.

A research team led by Deepa Ghosh at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, have created an innovative self-powered dressing aid for chronic wounds. This dressing has antibacterial qualities and can promote wound healing, making it a promising all-in-one solution for individuals with diabetic foot ulcers.

Candida infections, caused by pathogenic fungi, pose a significant threat, especially to vulnerable individuals. Researchers from Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, have developed a gelatin-based platform that closely mimics human skin, aiding in the study of Candida biofilm formation and potentially speeding up drug development to combat these infections.

A team led by Avinash Bajaj develops a fluorescent probe to detect mycobacteria from human tissue samples. Lekha Bandopadhyay reports on this study.

A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru has explored a new approach to treat mycobacterial infections, which are becoming increasingly drug-resistant. They found that a cocktail of mycobacteriophages – viruses that infect mycobacteria but not humans– were effective against slow- and fast-growing mycobacteria, in cultures. This has clinical significance in treating tuberculosis (caused by M.tuberculosis, a slow-growing mycobacterium), which is of concern, especially in developing countries. In this article, Edna George reports on this recent study by Rachit Agarwal’s team.

The tuberculosis bacteria is notorious for its ability to stay dormant for years within the human body, evading the immune system and always one step away from causing aggressive infection. Now, a study from researchers at Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, and Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTech), Chandigarh, has investigated a novel molecular pathway that helps the bacteria avoid the notice of the immune system.

Tuberculosis is a common comorbidity in those infected with HIV/AIDS, and the two conditions are known to exacerbate one another. A new study from researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru demonstrates that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the tuberculosis bacteria, can reactivate dormant HIV within the human body, a process that can potentially be targeted by specific drugs.