Understanding the phenomenon of persistence in mycobacterial infections.

Persistence of live organisms despite chemotherapy for long periods is a significant problem in both leprosy and tuberculosis. The consequence of this persistence is varying rates of relapses which undermine the success of treatment. The mechanisms of the dormancy are ill-understood, and as explanation a switch over to alternate modes of metabolism such as glyoxylate bypass and other shunts has been suggested. This presentation reviews the information available on this aspect. In-depth studies by designing and investigating model system(s) using molecular genetic approaches may help in gaining better understanding of the mechanisms of dormancy and persistence in mycobacterial infections and devising appropriate strategies and tools for the better management of these complications.