Research article |

Clinical Research and Development of Tuberculosis Diagnostics: Moving From Silos to Synergy

Authors: Payam Nahid, Peter S. Kim, Carlton A. Evans, David Alland, Michael Barer, Jane Diefenbach, Jerrold Ellner, Richard Hafner, Carol Dukes Hamilton, Michael F. Iademarco, Gregory Ireton, Michael E. Kimerling, Christian Lienhardt, William R. MacKenzie, Megan Murray, Mark D. Perkins, Jamie E. Posey, Teri Roberts, Christine Sizemore, Wendy S. Stevens, Laura Via, Sharon D. Williams, Wing W. Yew, and Susan Swindells

The development, evaluation, and implementation of new and improved diagnostics have been identified as critical needs by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis researchers and clinicians alike. These needs exist in international and domestic settings and in adult and pediatric populations. Experts in tuberculosis and HIV care, researchers, healthcare providers, public health experts, and industry representatives, as well as representatives of pertinent US federal agencies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, United States Agency for International Development) assembled at a workshop proposed by the Diagnostics Working Group of the Federal Tuberculosis Taskforce to review the state of tuberculosis diagnostics development in adult and pediatric populations.

A workshop proposed by the Diagnostics Working Group of the Federal Tuberculosis Taskforce was convened in Silver Spring, Maryland, in June 2011 to review the state of tuberculosis diagnostics development in adult and pediatric populations.

The objectives of the workshop were to initiate discussion and facilitate the identification and evaluation of diagnostic tools for tuberculosis and tuberculosis/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coinfection.

This article, which provides a summary of the key points discussed in the Clinical Research and Development of Tuberculosis Diagnostics track of the workshop, is divided by technologies and platforms currently under development or optimization, including

  1. Culture-based technologies, 
     
  2. Molecular-based technologies, and
     
  3. Nonmolecular, novel technologies for diagnosis.

Download: 3-page summary of article by MSF TB Diagnostics Advisor Teri Roberts (ENG)