Vaccine development in leprosy.

Is there a role for a vaccine in leprosy control?

‘Morbidity control’ is a recurring theme of a recent WHO report entitled “Global strategy for further reducing the leprosy burden and sustaining leprosy control activities: 2006–2010”. While the approach seems rational, based on our current tools for controlling leprosy (i.e., timely detection of new cases, treatment with effective chemotherapy, prevention of disabilities and rehabilitation), i...

The lepromatous macrophage defect as related to vaccine development in leprosy.

It has become almost routine that with any allegation of M. leprae production in quantity, e.g., armadillo infection or in vitro culture, the word goes forth that now a leprosy vaccine is on the threshold .. In part this represents newspaper attempts to interpret the need for and significance of the "breakthrough" which has finally made this possible. There is virtually no .escape for the inves...

Insight toward early diagnosis of leprosy through analysis of the developing antibody responses of Mycobacterium leprae-infected armadillos.

Leprosy is a debilitating chronic disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium leprae. A World Health Organization-directed control strategy based upon the identification and treatment of patients has resulted in a marked reduction in the number of registered worldwide leprosy cases over the last 20 years. Despite these efforts, the number of new leprosy cases detected each year now remains r...

Comment: reversal reaction in multibacillary leprosy patients following MDT with and without immunotherapy with a candidate for an antileprosy vaccine, Mycobacterium W. H. K. Kar et al.

Vaccines for Leprosy and Tuberculosis: Opportunities for Shared Research, Development, and Application

Tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy still represent significant public health challenges, especially in low- and lower middle-income countries. Both poverty-related mycobacterial diseases require better tools to improve disease control. For leprosy, there has been an increased emphasis on developing tools for improved detection of infection and early diagnosis of disease. For TB, there has been a sim...