The development of a novel fluorescentmarker phage technology system for the early diagnosis of tuberculosis disease

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative organism of tuberculosis (TB), is a major cause for mortality andmorbidity world-wide with a death toll only second to HIV among infectious diseases. Drug resistance is widespreadand cases of multiple drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug resistant TB (XDR-TB) haveemerged in several countries. Drug treatment is problematic and new drugs are not developed rapidlyenough to offset the rapid drug resistance mutation rate of M. tuberculosis. Simple and effective diagnosticsare required to contain the spread of the disease as current routine diagnostics are not fulfilling this role.Additionally, current rapid TB diagnostics are out of reach to resource poor settings due to infrastructure, costand skill requirements. Novel TB diagnostics are thus required that meet these requirements.Mycobacteriophages are phages that infect mycobacteria and could offer a viable and cost effectivealternative rapid TB diagnostics. In this study, an affinity-tagged fluorescent reporter mycobacteriophage isdescribed, which was engineered to act as a TB diagnostic. Its performance proved favourable and superiorto current existing mycobacteriophage-based TB diagnostics.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University