MHF TOP PICKS FOR October
Every month, we at the Mueller Health Foundation like to showcase interesting news and updates in the field of tuberculosis (TB). Below are our top 3 picks for October:
- New Research on Using Tongue Swabs to Diagnose Tuberculosis
Northwestern researchers are pioneering a novel, non-invasive method to diagnose tuberculosis using tongue swabs instead of traditional sputum samples, which are often difficult to obtain, particularly from children and people with HIV. They have developed a specialized swab-capture device and are collaborating with international partners to validate its effectiveness, with the aim of advancing it toward World Health Organization consideration. If proven successful, this approach could greatly expand access to TB testing, simplify diagnosis, and play a critical role in reducing transmission worldwide. To learn more, you can access the article here: https://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/news/articles/2025/09/using-tongue-swabs-to-diagnose-tuberculosis/
- New AI Method Maps How TB Drugs Destroy Bacteria
Scientists at Tufts University have developed an AI-assisted tool called DECIPHAER (Decoding Cross-Modal Information of Pharmacologies via Autoencoders) to map in great detail how tuberculosis drugs kill bacterial cells. DECIPHAER integrates high-resolution morphological images (showing changes in bacterial structure) with transcriptional data (which genes are turned on or off), allowing researchers to infer a drug’s molecular mechanism of action from images alone. Notably, this technology revealed that one drug thought to work on the bacterial cell wall actually acts by disrupting energy production in the respiratory chain. Because it eliminates the need for expensive RNA sequencing, DECIPHAER has the potential to accelerate and reduce the cost of discovering better
DID YOU KNOW?
The sweeping U.S. aid cuts have already begun to derail tuberculosis (TB) programs across multiple high-burden countries. The abrupt withdrawal of support threatens to reverse gains, weaken health systems, and accelerate TB transmission. In several nations, the impacts are becoming visible now:
- In Bangladesh, the US$48 million aid cut has put years of TB control progress at risk, leading to a significant increase in preventable deaths.
- In Nigeria, the “TB Local Network (TB LON)” , which was responsible for screening, diagnosis, and treatment, has been forced into de facto suspension, and more than 1,000 workers used in TB screening have been laid off.
- In the Philippines, U.S. cuts have disrupted TB testing in four USAIDfunded projects and affected the supply of drugs.
- In southeast Pakistan, TB testing and tracing efforts at the community level are reported to have stalled entirely following the U.S. funding suspension, with experts predicting a disproportionate impact on children in those communities.
- Research sites and clinical trials in South Africa have been disrupted: 39 clinical research sites and at least 20 TB trials and 24 HIV trials reliant on U.S. support are in limbo or halted completely.
With the renewal of the Global Fund commitment on the horizon in November, sustained global support, paired with innovative funding approaches, will be essential to safeguard fragile TB programs, address existing resource gaps, and help to minimize the reversal of progress made in the fight against TB over the last decade.