A new blood test could predict the onset of Tuberculosis (TB) three to six months in advance. This could potentially help doctors to treat the disease better and save millions of lives around the world.

In the study published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine Journal, researchers sought to identify which gene expression signatures in blood could be used to predict the disease before symptoms arise.

The emergence of gene expression signature test, which can aid diagnosis and early treatment, provides real hope for the management of infectious diseases. Multiple signatures are identified to accurately know the onset of TB, potentially providing multiple targets for early detection.