Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Currently, leprosy control is mainly based on WHO-recommended multi-drug treatment; thus, emergence of drug resistance is a major concern. M. leprae isolates resistant to single and multiple drugs have been encountered. In this review, the history of chemotherapy and drug resistance in leprosy and molecular biological insights for drug resistance are described. New methodologies to test susceptibility to anti-leprosy drugs instead of the traditional mouse footpad method are introduced. Awareness of the need to monitor drug resistance to prevent the spread of resistant cases is emphasized.
BT - Japanese journal of infectious diseases C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20093754?dopt=Abstract DA - 2010 Jan DO - 10.2165/11311110-000000000-00000 IS - 1 J2 - Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. LA - eng N2 -Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Currently, leprosy control is mainly based on WHO-recommended multi-drug treatment; thus, emergence of drug resistance is a major concern. M. leprae isolates resistant to single and multiple drugs have been encountered. In this review, the history of chemotherapy and drug resistance in leprosy and molecular biological insights for drug resistance are described. New methodologies to test susceptibility to anti-leprosy drugs instead of the traditional mouse footpad method are introduced. Awareness of the need to monitor drug resistance to prevent the spread of resistant cases is emphasized.
PY - 2010 SP - 1 EP - 7 T2 - Japanese journal of infectious diseases TI - Drug resistance in leprosy. UR - http://www.nih.go.jp/JJID/63/1.pdf VL - 63 SN - 1884-2836 ER -