Does vitamin D help treat TB?

Vitamin D is known to boost our body's natural immune defence systems and was once used as a treatment for TB. However, with the development of effective antibiotic drugs, vitamin D is no longer used. As a natural substance, vitamin D is safe to give to patients and is also less expensive than antibiotic drugs, but its effectiveness has never been properly evaluated.

In the laboratory, Dr Martineau has shown that vitamin D can help cells of our immune system to control the growth of the bacteria that causes TB. During this study, Dr Martineau and his team will take this a step further by testing whether giving TB patients a supplement of vitamin D enhances regular treatment of TB with antibiotics and makes these patients less infectious.

Amount awarded: £171,172
Relevant disease area(s): Tuberculosis
Relevant age group(s): All