A significant boost in tuberculosis research is on the horizon as Professor Alberto García-Basteiro from Hospital Clínic Barcelona and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) secures a €2.5 million Scientific Excellence Grant. Awarded by the European Research Council (ERC), this grant will fund the TB-QUEST project—an epidemiological field study aimed at unraveling the role of asymptomatic or subclinical tuberculosis (TB) in disease transmission. The project plans to utilize advanced techniques, including genome sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to provide concrete evidence of transmission from asymptomatic cases to close contacts.
Prestigious ERC Starting Grant Recognizes Promising Researchers
The ERC Starting Grant is designed to support early-career researchers who demonstrate the potential to become leaders in their fields. Covering up to 100% of eligible direct research costs and an additional 25% for indirect costs, the grant is highly competitive. This year, the ERC received 2,696 applications, with an estimated success rate of just 15%. Professor García-Basteiro's achievement highlights the significance of his proposed research in the global fight against tuberculosis.
The Hidden Challenge of Subclinical Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of illness and death worldwide. Traditional control strategies have primarily targeted latent infections and active disease stages. However, recent prevalence surveys indicate that approximately 50% of cases where M. tuberculosis is isolated from sputum samples are asymptomatic. This revelation has spurred scientific interest in subclinical TB, as it may significantly contribute to disease transmission despite patients showing no symptoms. To date, no field study has conclusively demonstrated direct transmission from subclinical TB cases to secondary infections.
Global Implications for TB Control Strategies
Professor García-Basteiro emphasizes the potential impact of his research:
"If subclinical TB is found to spread the disease, the ramifications for global TB control are immense. It would also influence how we design clinical trials for vaccines and treatments," he explains. "The TB-QUEST project aims to clarify how we define and detect subclinical TB. We seek to deepen our understanding of its epidemiology, the duration of infectiousness, and the factors that determine whether it resolves on its own or progresses to symptomatic disease."
By providing empirical evidence on the transmission dynamics of subclinical TB, the project could lead to a paradigm shift in how health organizations approach TB prevention and treatment.
About Professor Alberto García-Basteiro
Professor García-Basteiro is an associate research professor at ISGlobal and serves as an associate physician in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology at Hospital Clínic Barcelona. He also coordinates the tuberculosis research area at the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) in Mozambique. His work focuses on assessing the TB burden in Africa, exploring new diagnostic methods and treatments, and analyzing the disease from clinical, microbiological, and social perspectives.
This groundbreaking study funded by the ERC Starting Grant holds promise for transforming global TB control efforts. By shedding light on the often-overlooked subclinical cases, Professor García-Basteiro's research could lead to more effective strategies to combat one of the world's most persistent health challenges.