title: Defining dormancy in mycobacterial disease.
abstract: Tuberculosis remains a threat to global health and recent attempts to shorten therapy have not succeeded mainly due to cases of clinical relapse. This has focussed attention on the importance of "dormancy" in tuberculosis. There are a number of different definitions of the term and a similar multiplicity of different in vitro and in vivo models. The danger with this is the implicit assumption of equivalence between the terms and models, which will make even more difficult to unravel this complex conundrum. In this review we summarise the main models and definitions and their impact on susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We also suggest a potential nomenclature for debate. Dormancy researchers agree that factors underpinning this phenomenon are complex and nuanced. If we are to make progress we must agree the terms to be used and be consistent in using them.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, Biomedical Science Building, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9TF, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lipworth
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, Biomedical Science Building, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9TF, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R J H
authors.initials: RJH
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, Biomedical Science Building, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9TF, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: V O
authors.initials: VO
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George's, University of London, London SW17 ORE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Yanmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George's, University of London, London SW17 ORE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coates
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, Biomedical Science Building, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9TF, United Kingdom. Electronic address: shg3@st-andrews.ac.uk.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Gillespie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D032921:Consensus; D006801:Humans; D055985:Latent Tuberculosis / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011379:Prognosis; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents
keywords: Dormancy; Latency; Mycobacteria; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Persistence