HE Zheng-Guo: Human and tuberculosis of the Cold War
03 years http://www.sina.com.cn 2009 on 09 Day 14:10 Beijing Science and Technology News
□ text / newspaper reporter Ma Jia

Briefing at the Ministry of Health of the epidemic, tuberculosis morbidity and mortality every month in the first, second position. This has a "TB" called health killer, it seems that has not stopped the abuse of human. Huazhong Agricultural University Proteomics Research Center, led by Ho Zhengguo Group of him, and finally found the TB bacteria to help their infection, a key gene in human potential. This results in the February 19 online published in international academic journal "Genome Research" on.

"Beijing Science and Technology News": At present, the human subject to the threat of TB situation?

HE Zheng-Guo: TB bacteria has been associated with human life, since the identification of BCG and other effective prevention, treatment, drugs, TB bacteria have been well on the control, almost no one died because of tuberculosis. However, these means of prevention and treatment has lagged behind, and TB and the rise of potential, mainly because BCG is a vaccine for more than 40 years ago, we have been in use and do not update. However, the TB bacteria is characterized by a very large strong latent, latent, and it slowly aware of the role of drugs, so to escape the drug effect, thereby creating a resistance. Now, there is 4 to 5 million Chinese people are carriers, and there is more than 20 billion global carriers, but not incidence.

In fact, our country and even global TB research are far from enough.

"Beijing Science and Technology News": a lot of people and not as concerned about hepatitis B, AIDS, tuberculosis, as to be concerned. Why is this?

He is the country: This is the incidence of tuberculosis in itself relevant laws. To AIDS as an example, on the one hand, the incidence of its relatively short cycle, on the other hand people have a better understanding of the mode of transmission, know how to prevent. The incidence of TB itself, long cycle, 95% of the carriers is generally not onset, so people often do not pay attention to. In fact, once the disease will be difficult to treat.

"Beijing Science and Technology News": Why do modern medical technology is also difficult to deal with "TB"?

He is the country: in 1993, the World Health Organization declared TB to address the "global state of emergency." TB because of the potential over the past several decades, as well as the struggle with the human generated resistance, a lot of treatment effect will be lost. Drug-resistant strains of TB among people at will, between people and animals through the air very quickly spread to the. Spread of the bacteria after they are belong to resistance, there is no drug can be treated. Once the outbreak of TB would be difficult to prevent, because it is through air-borne.

"Beijing Science and Technology News": You found the TB bacteria attack the body of a key gene, which is how the harm the human body?

HE Zheng-Guo: This gene is called "whiB-3". TB bacteria invade the body, it will mobilize a number of specific genes to resist the body's immune system. Furthermore, some other specific genes, will assist the human body invasive TB bacteria from the body fat gain energy in order to survive. These particular genes in the vast majority of these were from the "whiB-3" control. Therefore, "whiB-3" is very likely infected with the TB bacteria, the relationship has great potential.

"Beijing Science and Technology News": whether this discovery will bring about changes in the treatment of tuberculosis?

HE Zheng-country: U.S. found that only the first step. If further evidence of "whiB-3" all the features, we took control of it, equal control of the TB bacterium a lot of features. Then, for the genetic research of drugs, control of TB bacteria may be in the biological activities in vivo, which play a therapeutic effect of TB.

HE Zheng-Guo, Huazhong Agricultural University Proteomics Research Center Director, Agricultural Microbiology, State Key Laboratory of fixed researchers. Ministry of Education in 2006 selected the New Century Talents Scheme, in 2007 the Ministry of Education as a core member of selected innovative team.