Rahaeng

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of infectious death worldwide, but current methods to monitor treatment response rely on slow and insensitive culture tests. Researchers are exploring new ways to assess treatment progress using cell-free DNA (cfDNA), small fragments of DNA circulating in the blood. This study focuses on detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific cfDNA (Mtb-cfDNA) to see if it can track how well TB treatment is working. The study is a proof-of-concept conducted at Mae RaMat TB Center in Thailand, supported by the Wellcome Trust. The study includes two groups: one for developing and validating the Mtb-cfDNA test, and another to follow patients over time to measure changes in Mtb-cfDNA levels during treatment. Participants include adults newly diagnosed with TB who have not yet started treatment, as well as healthy volunteers. Researchers will collect blood samples from day 0 through day 168 or until treatment ends to analyze Mtb-cfDNA. Participants will undergo regular sampling to track Mtb-cfDNA levels and monitor treatment response. The study will measure the patterns of Mtb-cfDNA changes over time and the percentage of participants who complete the sampling schedule. This approach aims to provide a new way to evaluate TB treatment effectiveness, potentially improving drug development and patient care.