Associate Professor
Wendy Burgers
Project Title
Characterizing the spectrum of TB and Co-infection with HIV - the role of Th22 cells (CaTCH-22)
EDCTP Project
TMA2016SF-1535
EDCTP Program
EDCTP2
EDCTP Project Call
Senior Fellowship (SF)
Project Objectives
1: To determine the evolution of Mtb-specific Th22 CD4+ cells during TB disease and treatment. 2: To define the dynamics of Mtb Th22 responses in LTBI and HIV co-infection after antiretroviral (ART). 3: To examine Mtb-specific Th22 cells along the spectrum of TB infection and disease.
Study Design
Observational study
Project Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death from an infectious disease. 10.6 million people developed TB in 2022, including over 1.3 million children, and 1.3 million people died of TB. The need for new and improved ways to prevent the spread of TB is greater than ever. An effective vaccine and biomarkers to identify those at greatest risk of disease will be key to reducing TB. The challenge with developing these interventions is that we lack an understanding of why some people who become infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), the bacterium causing TB, do not develop disease, while others do. In this project, we are investigating a range of CD4 T helper cell subsets that form part of the adaptive response to M.tb. In the fifth year of the project, we have continued to study CD4 helper subsets in TB immunity, focusing on those who are highly exposed to TB due to occupational exposure, and yet appear to resist infection. We found that a majority of those classified as resisting TB infection by virtue of being negative on the usual diagnostic assays (TST test and IGRA) in fact have evidence of TB sensitisation when additional immunodominant M.tb antigens are included to measure the M.tb response (EspC, EspF and Rv2348), when additional cytokines are measured and not just IFN- (IL-2, TNF-, IL-17 and IL-22), and when using an assay with higher sensitivity to detect low frequency responses to M.tb (intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry rather than soluble cytokine detection). These studies have important implications for diagnosis of M.tb in settings where the bacterium is not endemic and these tests are used to identify those requiring interventions. These studies have been performed by a team of young African scientists, who are being trained and are performing cutting-edge immunology research on TB, to understand more about how the immune system controls M.tb. Our findings provide important and novel insights into M.tb-specific T cell immunity that may ultimately contribute to more effective diagnostics or the development of an effective TB vaccine. http://www.idm.uct.ac.za/Wendy_Burgers
Host Organisation
| Department | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Division of Medical Virology | University of Cape Town (UCT) | ZA |
Project Title
The effect of HIV co-infection on the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) in the lung
EDCTP Project
TA.2008.40200.020
EDCTP Program
EDCTP1
EDCTP Project Call
Senior Fellowship (SF)
Project Objectives
To examine the effect of HIV co-infection on the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The proposed research aims to identify aspects of the immune response to M.tb which differ in persons latently infected with TB in the presence or absence of HIV co-infection.
Study Design
Laboratory study on the effect of HIV on lung immunity in TB patients
Host Organisation
| Department | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine | University of Cape Town (UCT) | South Africa |
Current Organisation
University of Cape Town
Current Job Title
Associate Professor
Biography
Publications