title: Trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate--a coat to regulate tuberculosis immunopathogenesis.
abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health burden worldwide. Treatment of this disease requires a minimum of six months and there is no vaccine available for the most common form of the disease. Increasing evidence suggests that the mycobacterial glycolipid trehalose 6,6' dimycolate (TDM; cord factor) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of TB disease. TDM protects the TB bacilli from macrophage-mediated killing, inhibits effective antigen presentation, and reduces the formation of protective T-cell responses. TDM promotes initiation of granuloma formation and likely plays a role in caseation. Furthermore, TDM may contribute to the development of post primary disease. Receptors for TDM were recently described and are expected to contribute to our knowledge of the molecular pathogenesis of TB disease. In this manner, understanding TDM may prove promising towards development of targeted TB therapeutics to limit clinical pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Kerry J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA. Electronic address: Jeffrey.K.Actor@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Actor
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003311:Cord Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015769:Granuloma, Respiratory Tract / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D003311:Cord Factors
keywords: Cord Factor; Trehalose 6,6′-dimycolate; Tuberculosis TDM