Pune: Experts at BJ Medical College (BJMC) and Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) will, for the first time, conduct targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) to identify drug-resistance mutations in tuberculosis (TB) patients.
NGS targets specific regions of the genome. It focuses on sequencing a select set of genes or gene regions that have known or suspected associations with a specific pathogen, lineage, or phenotype. The tNGS approach offers rapid and detailed genetic information across multiple gene regions. The analysis will help identify genetic mutations linked to resistance to TB drugs and provide information to guide treatment. The findings from the study will be shared with the governments of India and Maharashtra. As per officials, tNGS methods are also useful in the drug-resistant TB surveillance programme. It can provide reliable information for many anti-TB drugs in a single test, and it can detect mutations that may be missed by other molecular assays. Depending on the amount and number of drugs to be tested.
Dr Karyakarte said that they have isolated 48 samples for testing.
The initiative aims to improve diagnosis and help doctors select more effective treatments for drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), according to officials. It addresses key challenges associated with conventional phenotypic drug-susceptibility testing and the limitations of less comprehensive molecular tests, they said. “The initiative is expected to provide a clearer picture of drug-resistance mutations and support efforts to improve treatment outcomes for patients with drug-resistant TB,” he said. Besides, tNGS may be more cost-effective than other methods for comprehensive Drug Susceptibility Testing,’ they said.
The samples include both regular tuberculosis patients and drug-resistant tuberculosis patients undergoing treatment at SGH. As per officials, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended the use of targeted next-generation sequencing to detect drug-resistant TB and guide clinical decision-making. BJMC is part of the Indian Tuberculosis Genomic Surveillance (InTGS) Consortium.
Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, head of microbiology department, BJMC, said, “The study will start from next month and will help us know the resistance pattern in tuberculosis patients and help us tailor the treatment accordingly.
