How Leprosy and Tuberculosis Bacteria Hijack Immune Cells in Early Infection | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

How Leprosy and Tuberculosis Bacteria Hijack Immune Cells in Early Infection | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

How Leprosy and Tuberculosis Bacteria Hijack Immune Cells in Early Infection

Infected immune cells cause nerve damage in early leprosy. Credit: University of Cambridge

Findings from a pair of NIAID-funded studies in zebrafish shed light on how nerve damage is initiated in leprosy and suggest a potential target for the development of strategies to prevent tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases. Researchers found a molecule called PGL present on the surfaces of pathogenic mycobacteria, like those that cause leprosy and tuberculosis, helps the bacteria evade immune defenses and establish infection. A small difference in the chemical structure of PGL of leprosy-causing bacteria confers upon it the additional ability to contribute to nerve damage.