Why the immune system needs us
to
Carl Nathan, M.D.
Professor
Weill Cornell Medicine
Summary
To better understand and assist the immune system, my lab focuses on M. tuberculosis (Mtb), the leading cause of death from an infectious disease. Mtb has evolved to exploit human immunity, about which it must have much to teach us. Mtb can both elicit and withstand an immune response strong enough to liquefy lung and send forth infectious droplets that spread the disease. We study the biology of Mtb in the non-replicating states imposed by the sub-sterilizing host immune response and look for ways to overcome the phenotypic resistance to antibiotics that results.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, August 11, 2021