![Mycobacteria rapidly kill infected mTOR-deficient macrophages during the early stages of granuloma formation, leading to premature granuloma necrosis, which releases mycobacteria into the growth-promoting extracellular space.](https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Ramakrishnan_Pagan_Cell_mycobacteria-granuloma_Sci-Stories_Figure2_sq-crop-150x150.png)
Lalita Ramakrishnan’s group, LMB Cell Biology Division and University of Cambridge Molecular Immunity Unit, has determined that increased metabolism, prompted through mTOR kinase, is a crucial resistance factor against macrophage necrosis during TB infection.