SATVI awarded Wellcome Trust Discovery grant for Immunopathology study across TB Infection and the TB disease spectrum

20 Oct 2025
Wellcome Discovery Award
20 Oct 2025
SATVI grant Wellcome Discovery Award , aims to deepen understanding of protective immunity by studying human tissue samples from individuals with incidental TB infection who died from non-TB causes.

 A research team led by Drs. Virginie Rozot,  Laura Taylor, Specialist Forensic Pathologist and Professor Thomas Scriba from SATVI, University of Cape Town has received the prestigious Wellcome Trust Discovery Award to advance tuberculosis (TB) vaccine and treatment development. The project, entitled TB "Immunopathology across the M. tuberculosis infection and TB disease spectrum", aims to deepen understanding of protective immunity by studying human tissue samples from individuals with incidental TB infection who died from non-TB causes.

The project team includes fellow UCT researcher Professor Digby Warner, Professorial Director of IDM, leading the microbiology aspect and external collaborators, including:

  • Professor Threnesan Naidoo, Africa Health Research Institute, South Africa
     
  • Professor Alasdair Leslie, Africa Health Research Institute and University College London, United Kingdom
  • Professor Adrie Steyn, Africa Health Research Institute and University of Alabama, United States
  • Professor Douglas Lauffenburger, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States

TB remains a global health crisis, causing 1.3 million deaths annually. Despite decades of research, vaccine development has been hindered by limited access to infected human tissue and a poor understanding of immune protection. This project overcomes those barriers by using post-mortem samples to study host-pathogen interactions in the lungs and lymph nodes—sites critical to TB progression.

The team’s approach preserves tissue quality and allows for advanced molecular and immunological analysis. Importantly, the project also provides for sensitive community engagement with bereaved families, who have responded positively to the idea that their loss could contribute to life-saving science.
 

“This is something the world is waiting for,” said Scriba. “We’re finally able to investigate the immune responses that protect against TB—where it matters most.”

Professor Tom Scriba
 

The research promises to inform smarter vaccine design and therapeutic strategies, with the potential to transform TB prevention and global health outcomes.