title: Interaction of pathogenic mycobacteria with the host immune system.
abstract: Pathogenic mycobacteria, in particular Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, have the remarkable capacity to circumvent destruction within one of the most hostile cell types of a vertebrate host: the macrophage. The ability of pathogenic mycobacteria to survive inside macrophages has been known for more than 30 years; yet, only recently have advances in molecular genetics, biochemistry, immunology, as well as global analysis of gene expression, started to unravel the strategies utilized by these pathogens for intracellular persistence. In addition, the definition of key molecules that are important for intracellular survival opens the possibility to develop new drugs to combat mycobacterial diseases.
authors.affiliation: Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Edith N G
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Houben
authors.forename: Liem
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pieters
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006099:Granuloma / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008055:Lipids / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000502:physiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008055:Lipids; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors