Pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its Interaction with the Host Organism

Download or read book Pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its Interaction with the Host Organism written by Jean Pieters and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-12-12 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the most notorious pathogens on earth, causing the death of approximately 1.5 million people annually. A major problem in the fight against tuberculosis is the emergence of strains that have acquired resistance to all available antibiotics. One key to the success of M. tuberculosis as a pathogen is its ability to circumvent host immune responses at different levels. This is not only a result of the special makeup of M. tuberculosis in terms of genetic diversity and DNA metabolism and its possession of specialized secretion systems, but also of its ability to hijack the host’s innate immune defence mechanisms. In this volume, researchers from different disciplines provide a topical overview of the diverse mechanisms that contribute to the virulence of M. tuberculosis, ranging from their genetic, metabolic and molecular makeup, as well as the complex strategies these bacteria utilize to escape immune destruction within infected hosts.