The Hindu : Front Page : Genomic commonality between tuberculosis and leprosy: study

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2005

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Genomic commonality between tuberculosis and leprosy: study

Shastry V Mallady

Immunology Department of Madurai Kamaraj University expecting a breakthrough

MADURAI: The Department of Immunology in Madurai Kamaraj University is expecting to come out with a breakthrough in establishing the human genetic predisposition for tuberculosis and leprosy very soon.

An extensive immuno-genetic study conducted in the department laboratory so far gave evidence that `the genes involved in causing both TB and leprosy were the same since the samples showed that the causative organism in both the diseases belonged to the same genera bacterium.'

Rm.Pitchappan, Professor and Head, Department of Immunology-MKU, told The Hindu on Thursday that the first phase of laboratory study was nearing completion and the department would shortly go in for the next phase that uses the advanced version of micro-array technology.

"Once we understand the genes, it becomes easier to develop drugs and launch an effective diagnostic methodology", he said and added that the results till now pointed towards genomic commonality between TB and leprosy.

According to him, the outcome of the MKU study may lead to early diagnosis and prognosis of tuberculosis, which he said, became a killer disease.

As part of research work, Dr. Pitchappan and his team studied samples of 250 leprosy families from Kumbakonam and Erode `and they were studied for whole genome scan'.

Stating that the second phase would give more findings, he said it would be a micro-array dependant work `and the technology employed is such that 20,000 human genes can be studied simultaneously'.

Simultaneously, a TB-specific study was also taken up along with Hospital St. Louis- University of Paris, for which the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) provided a part of the funds.

About 300 patients from Madurai were genetically studied by conducting blood and sputum tests using state-of-art technology that cost 400 US Dollars for each patient.

Meanwhile, the department of immunology is now hosting a workshop (from Dec. 5 to 16) on `micro-array', organised under the auspices of University Grants Commission and Centre for Potential in Genomic Sciences, MKU.

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