Beneficial impact of genome projects on tuberculosis control.
The M. tuberculosis genome project is a landmark achievement in the history of TB research. The DNA sequence has provided valuable insights, along with a few surprises, into the complete genetic complement of M. tuberculosis. This information has been used to gain a better understanding of isoniazid-induced alteration in gene expression. It also has been used to construct a genealogy tree of different BCG strains, besides identifying genes that may be responsible for the human-specificity of M. tuberculosis. The impact of this project is far-reaching and in the next few years should yield innovative vaccines and therapeutic agents, besides aiding in the rapid and accurate diagnosis of TB.
Randhawa
Gurvaneet S
GS
Department of Preventive Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Bishai
William R
WR
D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy