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TBnet News August 2025

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The Next TBnet Webinar – "Community Engagement in TB Research: Best Practice, Reflections and Dealing With Challenges"


Join us on September 25, 2025, at 17:00 CET for the latest webinar, "Community Engagement in TB Research: Best Practice, Reflections and Dealing With Challenges"



Call for Applications for TBnet Steering Committee Positions – 2025 Elections

 

This year, we are searching for a Steering Committee member to take on the role of Diagnostics Chair and two Early Career members of the Steering Committee. Becoming a member of the TBnet Steering Committee is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the advancement of TB research, build up a collaborative network, and develop your leadership skills.

 

Applications will be accepted for the following positions:

-       TBnet Steering Committee Member Responsible for Diagnostics

-       Early Career Scientist - TBnet

-       Early Career Scientist - NTMnet

 

Full details can be found here. The call for applications for the position will be open until 01OCT2025 and candidates are asked to send their CV and a 1 page motivation letter describing their aims for the given position (max. 300 words) to Anne Oleischeck, TBnet Admin (admin@tbnet.eu). After 01OCT2025, the list of candidates will be finalized and sent to all TBnet members. Online voting will be open from 15OCT2025 to 01NOV2025, allowing all members to cast their votes for the candidates. The result of the election will be announced by 10NOV2025, and the respective candidates with the majority votes should aim at presenting themselves at the General Assembly on 18NOV2025.


Call for Research Proposals from TBnet Academy Alumni for TBnet Annual Meeting in Copenhagen


We are pleased to invite alumni of the TBnet Academy to contribute to the upcoming TBnet Annual Meeting, scheduled for 18 November 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Submit your

brief research idea or proposal for a chance to be featured in the dedicated session, “Research for the Future,” at the TBnet Annual Meeting 2025.

 

Submissions should be aligned with TBnet’s scientific priorities and fall within one of the following five thematic areas:

  1. Epidemiology

  2. Diagnostics / Microbiology

  3. Pediatrics

  4. Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM)

  5. Treatment

 

Each topic will be the focus of a discussion group co-moderated by a senior TBnet member and an early-career investigator. One proposal per topic will be selected and presented as the foundation for in-depth group discussion during the meeting. Successful applicants will recieve reimbursment for travel expenses and accomodation for one night in Copenhagen.

 

Applications should consist of a proposal (maximum 300 words) outlining the research project, a one-page motivation letter and an up-to-date CV (maximum two pages). Full details can be found here and the deadline for submissions is 20SEP2025. Applications are to be emailed to admin@tbnet.eu by the end of the day on the deadline.

 

European Advanced Course in Clinical Tuberculosis (EACCTB) 2025: Advancing TB Knowledge Across Borders

 

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The 2025 edition of the European Advanced Course in Clinical Tuberculosis (EACCTB), held at the Research Center Borstel in Germany, brought together 120 clinicians, scientists, and public health professionals from 13 countries. The event offered a comprehensive update on the clinical management of tuberculosis (TB) and the latest research developments in a disease that continues to pose significant challenges to global health systems.

 

Jointly organized by four leading European non-governmental organizations in the field of tuberculosis—TBnet (Germany), KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation (The Netherlands), the Finnish Lung Health Association (FILHA), and the Karolinska Institute (Sweden)—and supported by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), the course featured internationally recognized experts presenting cutting-edge insights into TB epidemiology, diagnostics, treatment, and prevention.

 

In addition to in-depth scientific sessions, the EACCTB 2025 introduced a dynamic new feature: the “TB Science Slam.” This engaging format provided early-career researchers with a platform to present innovative projects in rapid-fire presentations, fostering both creativity and visibility.

 

Moreover, topics such as TB and migration, post-TB lung disease, nutrition and mycobacterial disease, sparked interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration. Interactive case reports provided an opportunity for everyone to participate with suggestions for the management of difficult to treat patients.


Extensively-drug Resistant TB Outcomes in Europe: Findings from the Latest TBnet/ESCMYC Study


A landmark multinational study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe has revealed that only 40% of patients with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) in the WHO European Region achieved successful treatment outcomes (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101380). This retrospective cohort study from TBnet and the European Society for clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases study group on Mycobacteria (ESCMYC) analysed data from 188 patients diagnosed between 2017 and 2023, and found high resistance rates to key Group A tuberculosis drugs, including bedaquiline (48.4%) and linezolid (34.0%) with mortality rates of 21.3%, and treatment failure in 37.1%.

 

There were significant disparities in outcomes between high-income and upper middle-income countries, and the number of likely effective drugs in a regimen was strongly associated with better outcomes. The authors call for international action to improve XDR-TB treatment infrastructure, expand DST capacity, and accelerate access to new regimens through compassionate use and stewardship programs.


TBnet News

Editor – Conor Tweed

Layout & formatting – Anne Oleischeck

Cover picture – Conor Tweed


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