MTB-KB: A Curated Knowledgebase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Related Studies
Pan Li, Cuidan Li, Rongxi Zhu, Wenjing Sun, Hengyu Zhou, Zhuojing Fan, Liya Yue, Sijia Zhang, Xiaoyuan Jiang, Quan Luo, Jinying Han, Hairong Huang, Adong Shen, Bahetibieke Tuohetaerbaike, Jing Wang, Wenbao Zhang, Hao Wen, Haitao Niu, Congfan Bu, Zhang Zhang, Jingfa Xiao, Renjun Gao, Fei ChenAbstract
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), has regained its position as the world’s leading killer among infectious diseases. Despite extensive research progress across epidemiology, diagnosis, drug development, treatment regimens, vaccines, drug resistance, virulence factors, and immune mechanisms, MTB-related knowledge remains fragmented across thousands of publications, limiting its application in research and clinical practice. To address this gap, we present MTB-KB, a literature-curated knowledgebase that systematically integrates high-impact findings from eight major sections of TB research. The current release contains 75,170 associations from 1246 publications, covering 18,439 entities standardized using authoritative databases and WHO–endorsed classifications. A central feature is the interactive knowledge graph, which links cross-section associations to reveal and visualize MTB–host interactions, treatment strategies, and vaccine development opportunities. MTB-KB also provides a user-friendly interface with browsing, advanced search, and statistical visualization. Overall, by consolidating dispersed MTB knowledge into a structured and accessible platform, MTB-KB provides a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers, supporting both basic and clinical TB research, enabling evidence-based TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and contributing to global elimination efforts. MTB-KB is accessible at https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/mtbkb/.