BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Amid persistent challenges in tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, treatment and prevention, the Beijing Chest Hospital has unveiled a series of landmark innovations, injecting new momentum into global efforts to eliminate the disease.

Breakthroughs range from non-invasive sampling and AI-powered diagnostics to shorter treatment regimens and an mRNA vaccine trial -- significant strides in China's fight against TB.

TB claimed 1.25 million lives globally in 2023, with 10.8 million new cases reported that year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In China, 741,000 new cases and 25,000 deaths were estimated in the same year.

Traditional sputum testing, the current diagnostic mainstay, faces limitations such as difficulties in sample collection among children and HIV patients, and the risk of infectious aerosol exposure.

A Beijing Chest Hospital research team has developed a non-invasive, tongue-swab-based molecular detection method, leveraging the finding that Mycobacterium tuberculosis aggregates on the posterior tongue surface. Validated in trials across 10 hospitals, the technique has demonstrated 89.6 percent sensitivity and 96.2 percent specificity. Recognized by the WHO, the method is now a part of community screening strategies in South Africa and Indonesia.

In another breakthrough, an AI-driven acoustic biomarker model can analyze cough sounds to detect pulmonary diseases like TB and pneumonia. The tool, which has been integrated into a smartphone app, has achieved 80 percent sensitivity for TB in preclinical trials.

"We aim to make smartphones the first line of defense in public health," said Yang Xinting, a doctor in the hospital's TB department.

Drug-resistant TB treatment, which has historically required 18 months of therapy, now sees hope in a nine-month regimen involving Bedaquiline. Clinical trials led by the hospital have shown efficacy and safety levels comparable to the WHO's 18-month protocol, promising to halve treatment times while reducing costs.

Parallel efforts are exploring repurposed drugs and vaccine innovation. Nintedanib, originally used for pulmonary fibrosis, exhibits potential for use against TB, while an mRNA vaccine candidate has demonstrated an efficacy 20 times higher than BCG in animal trials. The latter has begun clinical trials, with its first participant recently inoculated.

"From non-invasive diagnostics to mRNA vaccines, these innovations will reshape TB control strategies," said Li Xiaobei, president of the Beijing Chest Hospital.

With 350 million people infected globally, China's scientific strides provide a critical catalyst for a TB-free future, Li added. Enditem

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