Experts from the McGill International TB Centre and The Institute publish a prestigious Lancet seminar on TB
Commissioned work underscores the role of tuberculosis (TB) as a leading cause of death globally, stressing the importance of early diagnosis, comprehensive care, and ongoing research for effective control
SOURCE: The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute)
April 1, 2025
A team of leading experts from the McGill International TB Centre and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (The Institute) has authored a Lancet seminar—an in-depth, peer-reviewed article commissioned by The Lancet to serve as a definitive reference for clinicians and researchers worldwide. Authors include Marcel Behr, MD, Jonathon Campbell, PhD, and Dick Menzies, MD, (senior author), all of which are members of the McGill International TB Centre and The Institute. Also contributing as authors are Anete Trajman, MD, (Brazil) and Rovina Ruslami, MD, (Indonesia), both adjunct professors at McGill University and members of the McGill International TB Centre.
The seminar provides a comprehensive overview of TB, emphasizing its ongoing impact as a leading infectious cause of death. It offers patients' perspectives, and essential guidance for healthcare providers on identifying at-risk individuals, ensuring early and accurate diagnosis, and delivering effective treatment and post-treatment care. By synthesizing patients' voices with the latest evidence and clinical best practices, the article aims to improve TB management and inform future research directions. It underscores the authors' global leadership in tuberculosis research and care.
"Tuberculosis continues to be a major challenge for all who confront it," explains Dr. Dick Menzies, Director of the McGill International TB Centre and Senior Scientist in the Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program at the Institute. "For care providers in low TB incidence settings, like Canada, challenges include simply considering the possibility of tuberculosis and initiating testing that is rapid, yet accurate, then selecting the shortest, safest, and most effective treatment."
"For researchers, development and application of new tools for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, based on improved understanding of the biological mechanisms of infection and disease, pose the biggest challenges," adds Dr. Menzies. "Progress over the past decade leads us to be optimistic that these challenges can be overcome, and tuberculosis ultimately eliminated."
About the publication
Anete Trajman, Jonathon R Campbell, Tenzin Kunor, Rovina Ruslami, Farhana Amanullah, Marcel A Behr, Dick Menzies, Tuberculosis, The Lancet, 2025; 405: 850-66
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)02479-6
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