Eastern European Study Site

As part of a partnership, the Eastern European Study Site (EESS) was established in Bucharest, Romania, in collaboration with the Marius Nasta Institute and its affiliated tuberculosis hospital. Eastern European countries have a high incidence of tuberculosis, especially of the multidrug-resistant form. In Bucharest, it is possible to carry out clinical trials on site. The EESS provides support for patient recruitment for diagnostic studies, clinical trials aimed at testing new drugs, and personalized medicine projects. The patient cohort is growing steadily. Epidemiological data and sputum samples or blood samples are collected and the associated epidemiological data are recorded. At the Research Center Borstel, the bacteria isolated from the sputum samples of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex undergo molecular biology analysis. Electronic data collection with corresponding patient samples is steadily growing. Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains are isolated and analyzed using state-of-the-art methods at the Research Center Borstel.