The Immunology of Buruli Ulcer

Excerpt

Buruli ulcer (BU) represents a unique human mycobacteriosis. Caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, the disease spectrum is dominated by the activity of mycolactone, a dermanecrotic toxin that has shown the ability to interfere with the immune response. This poses an additional difficulty to the understanding of the immunological determinants for the outcome of infection, a fundamental step to develop better preventive or curative strategies. In this chapter, the immune response against M. ulcerans is reviewed, both with a series of clinical observations and experimental infection models and going through several other lines of evidence, including epidemiological and genetic studies. This holistic approach is expected to shed further light on the intriguing pathophysiology of this disease and help guide future research efforts.