Professor Reto Guler

Division of Immunology

Affiliations

  1. Full Member, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
  2. Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town
  3. Affiliated Member of The Cape Heart Institute

Key Expertise

Tuberculosis, Host-directed therapy, Statins, RNA

Main Research Focus

Prof. Reto Guler's research focuses on identifying host factors and pathways exploited by Mycobacterium tuberculosis to enhance its persistence within macrophages, with the aim of developing pathogen- and host-directed therapies for tuberculosis (TB). This includes investigating statins, non-coding RNAs, and the role of epigenetics in host immunity to TB. He coordinates the international Statin-TB consortium, which secured a €5 million grant from the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership to evaluate statins in clinical trials aimed at reducing post-TB lung disease. Guler is also part of the international FANTOM consortium, which advances genome-wide transcriptome analysis through CAGE transcriptomics (Nature, 2014; 507; Science, 2015; 347). Additionally, his research explores Minor Groove Binders as innovative anti-mycobacterial agents and investigates non-ionic surfactant vesicles as drug delivery systems for TB. His work exemplifies the translation of foundational research into clinical trials to identify novel treatments for TB.

Most Significant Paper Authored in 2024

Comparing gene expression profiles of adults with isolated spinal tuberculosis to disseminated spinal tuberculosis identified by 18FDG-PET/CT at time of diagnosis, 6- and 12-months follow-up: Classifying clinical stages of spinal tuberculosis and monitoring treatment response (Spinal TB X cohort study)

Scherer, J., Mukasa, S. L., Wolmarans, K., Guler, R., Kotze, T., Song, T., Dunn, R., Laubscher, M., Pape, H.-C., Held, M., & Thienemann, F. (2024).


While pulmonary TB has been the focus of much research, extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), particularly spinal TB (STB), has received less attention. STB accounts for 10% of EPTB and can cause severe spinal deformity and nerve compression, leading to long-term disability. Our Spinal TB X cohort study aims to describe STB's clinical phenotype using whole-body 18FDG-PET/CT and identify gene expression profiles associated with different stages of STB. This study may lead to a blood-based diagnostic tool for early detection and more effective treatment monitoring of STB.