Overview

Overview

leadership

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most significant infectious causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide and is the number one cause of death among those infected with HIV. Major research needs span from basic research to identify biomarkers that accurately predict outcomes of active and latent TB to clinical research to measure efficacy and effectiveness of new tools and strategies for TB. To meet this need, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has created the Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis (RePORT) International program to support the establishment of regional RePORT consortia in cooperation with host countries. This platform sets the stage for future combined or comparative data analyses and is an invaluable resource for in-country and cross-national collaborations between bench and clinical researchers. 

Progress in TB clinical research is hampered by a lack of reliable biomarkers that predict progression from latent to active tuberculosis, and subsequent cure, relapse, or failure. RePORT International represents a consortium of the following regional cohorts.

RePORT Brazil

RePORT china

RePORT india

RePORT indonesia

RePORT Korea

RePORT philippines

RePORT South Africa

RePORT uganda

These cohorts are linked through the implementation of a common protocol for data and specimen collection and are poised to address this critical research need. Each RePORT network is designed to support local, in-country TB-specific data and specimen biorepositories and associated research. Taken together, the expected results include greater global clinical research capacity in high-burden settings, and increased local access to quality data and specimens for members of each network and their domestic and international collaborators.

Mission

The mission of the Regional Prospective Observational Research for Tuberculosis (RePORT) International is to advance tuberculosis (TB) science globally, with emphasis on translational research to provide new tools for TB control.  

To do this RePORT International will promote harmonization of data across the RePORT consortia and development of TB research capacity and infrastructure

brazil

china

india

indonesia

Korea

Phillipines

south africa

uganda

Operations

Rutgers University is leading the RePORT International Coordinating Center (RICC), established by the Division of AIDS, (DAIDS), National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to coordinate the activities of the RePORT International Consortia, facilitate cross-consortia harmonization, internal consortia collaboration, and collaboration between consortia members and outside researchers.

Bylaws and Governance

RePORT International began in 2012 as a cooperative strategy between the U.S. DAIDS/NIAID/NIH and interested governments to address the threat of TB, which affects the lives and well-being of people across the globe and poses an increased risk for people living with HIV and AIDS. The initial RePORT International collaboration included TB research investigators from India collaborating with U.S.-based TB research investigators, followed soon by the addition of a newly formed Vanderbilt University (U.S.) and Brazil consortium. Subsequently, a South Africa Medical Research Council TB research consortium was added (2016) and an Indonesia-NIAID endeavor (INA RESPOND) started enrolling in 2017. China signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2017 and plans to start enrolling later in the year. The bylaws are written to set clear guidelines and expectations for current and future groups to work together on a broad set of common goals.

2024 bylaws

Memorandum of Understanding

The MOU for RePORT International Partner Consortia is a document intended to set forth principles of mutual understanding and good faith, but it is not a legally binding document. By signing the MOU, the consortium agrees to participate in the RePORT International collaboration, understanding that the purpose is to catalyze progress in TB research while building research capacity in TB high burden countries. The mechanism agreed upon is for each group to use a common platform to collect data and biological specimens from participants who have active TB or are close contacts to a case of TB (refer to CID, 2015:61, S155-9, 2015 for the vision and aims of RePORT International). RePORT consortium leadership signatures on the MOU indicate that the consortium membership and local government authorities have reviewed the document and concur with the planned collaboration. Signed MOUs are kept at TB RICC and are intended to be updated and signatures confirmed every five years or less.