A blood test developed by Tulane researchers combines nanotechnology with artificial intelligence to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) in children. The nanotechnology allows scientists to see small components of the bacteria that causes TB. The test accurately detected TB in 89% of children who were known to have confirmed TB and identified 74% of children with unconfirmed TB that standard tests missed.

Using CRISPR analysis, School of Medicine researchers have developed a highly sensitive blood test for tuberculosis that screens for DNA fragments of the bacteria that cause the disease. The test can deliver results within two hours. Dr. Tony Hu, Weatherhead Presidential Chair in Biotechnology Innovation and professor in biochemistry and molecular biology, biomedical engineering, and microbiology, is lead author of the study.

Dr. Jacques Courseault, assistant professor of sports medicine at the School of Medicine, has opened one of the world’s first Ehlers-Danlos syndrome clinics, the Tulane Hypermobility Clinic. The Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited genetic conditions that affects connective tissue. The idea to open the clinic came after Courseault saw several patients with a range of symptoms resembling the syndrome.

A study led by Dr. Nassir Marrouche, director of the Tulane Heart and Vascular Institute, shows that the simple approach — compared to advanced image-guided technology to aggressively target diseased areas of the heart — has better patient outcomes when it comes to ablation, a procedure that destroys cardiac tissue to correct irregular heart rhythms, also known as atrial fibrillation.

A research team led by Dr. Samir El-Dahr, Jane B. Aron Professor and chair of pediatrics at the School of Medicine, examined why human kidneys, which are composed of nearly a million filter units, stop creating new filter cells after birth. The researchers used a mouse model to understand what occurs when a fetal stem cell differentiates into a mature kidney cell. Researchers found that near the time of birth, the DNA blueprint that controls the fate of kidney stem cells changes dramatically.

A challenge in treating military veterans is finding those who may be suffering from invisible wounds and getting them to seek treatment, said Dr. Greg Stewart. There is, however, a new, successful treatment concept to help veterans heal and lower their risk for suicide. Stewart is the W. Kennon McWilliams Professor in Sports Medicine and the medical director for the Tulane University Center for Brain Health, whose central mission is to provide care for military veterans regardless of discharge status.

The Tulane University Center for Brain Health is a new program created to address the unique medical needs of members of the armed forces. The center, housed in the Tulane Medical Center, will specialize in the care of military veterans of any discharge status and specialize in the treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.