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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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Research success highlights new danger of TB
- Sheila Davie, Nikki Jeffrey, Director, Target TB; Dr Amina Jindani, Scientific Advisor, World Without TB; Peter Ballard, Managing Director, Genus Pharmaceuticals (25 November 2008)
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Sheila Davie, Executive Director RESULTS UK (CV31 2DP), Nikki Jeffrey, Director, Target TB; Dr Amina Jindani, Scientific Advisor, World Without TB; Peter Ballard, Managing Director, Genus Pharmaceuticals
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The recent success in stem cell research and tissue engineering by a team of European scientists (Patient makes good recovery after transplant of a bioengineered airway, BMJ 21 November 2008) shows the value of scientific research to public health. Claudia Castillo was however the victim of TB, a disease which science has historically neglected but is now a public health emergency in many countries of the world. Whilst we congratulate the European team on their success and the hope it gives to the possibilities for bioengineering, we wish to highlight that the tools to diagnose, treat and prevent TB are as much as a century- old. It was TB that caused Claudia’s windpipe to disintegrate, and worldwide there are now nine million cases of TB each year; there has even been a resurgence of the disease in Europe, including parts of the UK. The modern-day disease is complicated by social deprivation, HIV/AIDS and increasingly drug-resistant strains. Perhaps the cruel advances of tuberculosis will now be matched by the scientific advances – and resources – so desperately needed. Yours sincerely, On behalf of the UK Coalition to Stop TB: Sheila Davie, Executive Director, RESULTS UK Nikki Jeffrey, Director, Target TB Peter Ballard, Managing Director, Genus Pharmaceuticals Dr Amina Jindani, Scientific Advisor, World Without TB Competing interests: None declared |
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