title: [Current advances in leprosy research activities].
abstract: Due to the advent of multi-drug therapy (MDT) recommended by the WHO, for the treatment of leprosy, presently, leprosy is regarded as a "curable disease". The number of new cases in Japan is relatively very low, due to which the disease is likely to be neglected, but on scientific grounds, there is a necessity to perform in depth studies. Leprosy caused by M. leprae is still unclear on various aspects including transmission, immunology, nerve damage etc. Here we introduce the recent advances in the field of basic leprosy research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Leprosy Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo 189-0002, Japan. mmaki@nih.go.jp
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukutomi
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Tetsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kai
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ymazaki
authors.forename: Msaichi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gidoh
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D015195:Drug Design; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006017:Glycolipids; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007917:Leprostatic Agents; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D016207:Cytokines; D006017:Glycolipids; D007917:Leprostatic Agents; C464640:LpK protein, Mycobacterium leprae; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; C060596:anti-leprosy vaccine; C045169:phenolic glycolipid I, Mycobacterium leprae