Buruli ulcer (BU) is an emerging human disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, which mainly affects the extremities. It is most endemic in sub-Saharan Africa; however, it has been reported worldwide, including in some non-tropical areas. "M. ulcerans subsp. shinshuense" is proposed as a subspecies of M. ulcerans, which have been reported from Japan and China. A total of 35 BU cases have been reported as of November 2012. Although M. ulcerans is categorized as nontuberculous mycobacteria, it has some unique characteristics that could only be observed in this bacterium. It possesses a giant virulent plasmid, composed of 174-kbp nucleotides, coding polyketide synthase to produce macrolide toxin called mycolactone. The discovery of such a linkage of plasmid and its pathogenesis has not been reported in other human disease-causing mycobacteria.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.7883/yoken.66.83 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Buruli ulcer (BU) a neglected disease induced by the bacterium Mycobacterium ulcerans, predominantly impacts tropical and subtropical areas with its pathophysiology ascribed to the Mycolactone protein. Current antibiotics frequently prove insufficient to manage advanced or chronic ulcers and the rise of drug resistance presents a considerable challenge. This work aims to address these challenges by employing computational methods to identify therapeutic candidates from organic compounds, which may be developed into more effective therapies for Buruli ulcer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxins (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra P.O. Box LG56, Ghana.
Mycolactone is a complex macrolide toxin produced by , the causative agent of Buruli ulcer. The aim of this paper is to review the chemistry, biosynthetic, and synthetic pathways of mycolactone A/B to help develop an understanding of the mode of action of these polyketides as well as their therapeutic potential. The synthetic work has largely been driven by the desire to afford researchers enough (≥100 mg) of the pure toxins for systematic biological studies toward understanding their very high biological activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mycobacteriol
October 2024
Programme Department, RedAid, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria.
Background: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) significantly impact the physical and mental well-being of affected individuals, particularly in Nigeria. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating mental health services with self-care practices for individuals suffering from leprosy, Buruli ulcer (BU), and lymphatic filariasis (LF). The role of trained Healthcare Workers (HCWs) and NTD champions (NTD-Cs) will be explored to enhance health outcomes in this population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Negl Trop Dis
December 2024
Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The Canberra Hospital, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
We describe two locally acquired cases of Mycobacterium ulcerans infection (Buruli ulcer) in the town of Batemans Bay on the east coast of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, 150 km north of Eden, the only other place in NSW where Buruli ulcer has likely been locally acquired. Genomic analysis showed that the bacterial isolates from the cases were identical but belonged to a phylogenetically distinct M. ulcerans clade that was most closely related to the isolate from the earlier case in Eden to the south.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIndian Dermatol Online J
October 2024
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India.
Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections are increasingly recognized, particularly in tropical regions and are often found in immunocompetent individuals. These infections are emerging as significant health concerns, especially pulmonary NTM, which is reported more frequently and is known to be associated with hospital environments. While pulmonary NTM infections are on the rise, partly due to drug resistance and possible patient-to-patient transmission, there is no current evidence indicating an increase in cutaneous NTM infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!