A new study published in the Journal of Infection reveals that the Molecular Bacterial Load Assay (MBLA) provides a faster and more accurate way to monitor treatment response in patients with pre-XDR/XDR-TB, compared to the widely used GeneXpert Ultra MTB/RIF test.
MBLA showed higher concordance with culture results than GeneXpert during treatment
It accurately detected early bacterial load decline as early as 2 weeks into therapy
Area under the curve (AUC): MBLA = 0.88 | Xpert = 0.78 | Microscopy = 0.77
It identifies viable but non-culturable M. tuberculosis, offering a unique advantage in monitoring drug-resistant TB
Unlike Xpert, which detects DNA from both dead and live bacteria, MBLA targets 16S rRNA, offering a more precise reflection of viable bacterial load—crucial for real-time treatment evaluation.
As drug-resistant TB continues to pose global health challenges, this study supports MBLA as a promising diagnostic tool for early intervention and better patient outcomes.
Kudos to the international research team from Germany, Romania, Moldova, and the UK for this breakthrough.
