Engineered biomarkers for immunodiagnosis of leprosy

Over the last decade, significant advances have been made in the development of biomarkers for the detection of Mycobacterium leprae infection. Nevertheless, given the wide spectrum of clinical manifestations of leprosy, and the variability in the individual response from distinct leprosy-endemic areas, the proposition of a serological assay for the early diagnosis still remains a challenge. Thus, at present, an effective medical intervention to avoid leprosy-provoked disabilities, exclusively depends on efficient anamnesis and clinical assessment, by appropriately trained and qualified professionals. The efforts of the scientific community to develop engineered antigen-based assays, for serological diagnosis of leprosy are covered. Finally, the importance of awareness in demystifying the disease, and encouraging early reporting, is appointed as the first step to avoid disabilities, and control the transmission of leprosy.