In this seminar, Dr. Lalita Ramakrishnan gives an introduction to tuberculosis (TB) pathogenesis, and gives an overview of Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ life cycle. She explains how the TB bacteria gain entry into the host by using specific lipids to avoid microbicidal macrophages and recruit growth-permissive ones. Once inside the macrophage, the bacteria use multiple virulence genes to survive intracellularly. In particular, Ramakrishnan discusses bacterial efflux pumps that, in addition to promoting intracellular survival, also induce tolerance to multiple antibiotics. Most individuals have effective counterstrategies so that they are able to clear TB infection by a combination of innate and adaptive immunity. Yet scientists have not been able to understand these defense strategies enough to harness them and create an effective vaccine against TB.
View the full talk with additional resources on our website
Tuberculosis Pathogenesis
Dr. Lalita Ramakrishnan gives an introduction to tuberculosis (TB) pathogenesis, and gives an overview of Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ life cycle. (Talk recorded in January 2017)
- Part 1: An Introduction to Tuberculosis: The Pathogenic Personality of the Tubercle BacillusAudience:
- Student
- Researcher
- Educators of H. School / Intro Undergrad
- Educators of Adv. Undergrad / Grad
Duration: 00:34:44 - Part 2: The Troublesome Tubercle in TuberculosisAudience:
- Student
- Researcher
- Educators of H. School / Intro Undergrad
- Educators of Adv. Undergrad / Grad
Duration: 00:29:42 - Part 3: Tuberculosis as an Inflammatory DiseaseAudience:
- Student
- Researcher
- Educators of H. School / Intro Undergrad
- Educators of Adv. Undergrad / Grad
Duration: 00:32:27