Application of genomic analysis to study the mechanisms of drug resistance, virulence and transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains from Lithuania and Poland

Each year, there are about 10 million new cases of tuberculosis and nearly 2 million deaths from this disease, making tuberculosis one of the most important health problems in the world. The main goal of the project is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the genetic structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, both with a drug-sensitive and drug-resistant phenotype, from Lithuania and Poland. This analysis will be based on the detailed characteristics of the identified genotypes, their comparison with each other and with genotypes described in other European countries and in the world, estimation of tuberculosis transmission between Lithuania and Poland and, within these countries, determination of genetic determinants of drug resistance, as well as, possibly, other phenotypic characteristics (infectivity, virulence), taking into account their clinical significance in the course of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in tuberculosis.

The proposed project is so far the largest study in the field of molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis in Lithuania and Poland. The results of the conducted research will significantly expand the knowledge on the genetic determinants of drug resistance, virulence and transmission of M. tuberculosis, paving the way for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in tuberculosis. The research provided for in the project corresponds with the global strategy of fighting tuberculosis, leading to the elimination of the disease as a health problem for the human community.