Summer 1997
The Kleberg Foundation, with a $296,000 grant, has joined forces with the Health Science Center to develop new treatments for tuberculosis (TB), the number one infectious killer in the world. TB slowly and progressively destroys tissue, beginning in the lungs and eventually attacking other major organs.
A resurgence of TB in the United States has resulted in widespread infection in South Texas, which includes a large Hispanic population. "Hispanics get more infected with the TB microorganisms that are resistant to treatment," said Robert A. Clark, MD, chairman, department of medicine. The study will focus on why more Hispanics than other ethnic groups contract resistant TB. Also, the grant will enable scientists to search for new treatments, particularly for patients who are immune to current medications.
