title: The TDR Tuberculosis Strain Bank: a resource for basic science, tool development and diagnostic services.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases recently launched a Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain bank (TDR-TB Strain Bank).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the TDR-TB Strain Bank, the characterisation of strains, bank management and the procedure  for releasing materials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The TDR-TB Strain Bank consists of 229 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates (single-colony derived cultures) plus five mycobacterial reference strains for purposes of identification. These are available as freeze-dried, viable strains or as heat-inactivated  bacterial suspensions, quality controlled for purity, viability and authenticity. Isolates originated from diverse geographical settings and were selected for their resistance profiles against first- and second-line drugs. Low and high levels of resistance were determined by the minimum inhibitory  concentrations of isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, streptomycin, ofloxacin, kanamycin, capreomycin, ethionamide and para-aminosalicylic acid. Sequencing for drug resistance mutations was performed on the relevant sections of the rpoB, katG, inhA, embB, rpsL,  rrs, gyrA and gyrB genes. Typing using lineage-defining loci of mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeats indicated that the most important genetic lineages were represented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TDR-TB Strain Bank is a high quality  bioresource for basic science, supporting the development of new diagnostics and drug-resistant detection tools and providing reference materials for laboratory quality management programmes.
authors.affiliation: United Nations Children's Fund/United Nations Development Programme/World Bank/World Health Organization Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rigouts
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nduwamahoro
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guillerm
authors.forename: C-M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Nathanson
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moussy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Jong
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Portaels
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramsay
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D009154:Mutation; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016730:Program Development; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents