Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative organism of tuberculosis (TB), is a major cause for mortality and
morbidity world-wide with a death toll only second to HIV among infectious diseases. Drug resistance is widespread
and cases of multiple drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug resistant TB (XDR-TB) have
emerged in several countries. Drug treatment is problematic and new drugs are not developed rapidly
enough to offset the rapid drug resistance mutation rate of M. tuberculosis. Simple and effective diagnostics
are required to contain the spread of the disease as current routine diagnostics are not fulfilling this role.
Additionally, current rapid TB diagnostics are out of reach to resource poor settings due to infrastructure, cost
and skill requirements. Novel TB diagnostics are thus required that meet these requirements.
Mycobacteriophages are phages that infect mycobacteria and could offer a viable and cost effective
alternative rapid TB diagnostics. In this study, an affinity-tagged fluorescent reporter mycobacteriophage is
described, which was engineered to act as a TB diagnostic. Its performance proved favourable and superior
to current existing mycobacteriophage-based TB diagnostics. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, die organisme verantwoordelik vir tuberkulose (TB), is `n groot bron van
mortaliteit en morbiditeit wêreldwyd en slegs HIV is verantwoordelik vir groter getalle sterftes as gevolg van n
aansteeklike siekte. Middelweerstandigheid is algemeen en gevalle van meervoudigemiddelweerstandige
tuberkulose (MDR-TB) en uiters weerstandige tuberkulose (XDR-TB) kom in verskeie lande voor. Antibiotika
behandeling is problematies en nuwe anti-TB middels word nie vinnig genoeg ontwikkel om die antibiotika
weerstandigheid mutasie spoed van M. tuberculosis te bekamp nie. Doeltreffende diagnostiese toetse word
benodig om die verspreiding van die siekte te beheer en bestaande roetine diagnostiese toetse voldoen tans
nie aan hierdie vereiste nie. Behalwe hiervoor, is huidige vinnige TB diagnostiese toetse buite bereik van arm
instansies weens vereistes aan infrastruktuur, meegaande kostes en werknemervaardigheid. Nuwe TB
diagnostiese toetse is dus nodig om aan hierdie vereistes te voldoen. Mikobacteriofaage is fage wat
mikobacteria infekteer en kan moontlik 'n lewensvatbare en koste-effektiewe alternatief bied vir
vinnige TB diagnostiese toetse. In hierdie studie word 'n affiniteitgekoppelde fluoreserende
rapporteringsmikobakteriofaag beskryf wat ontwerp is om op te tree as `n nuwe vinnige TB diagnostiese
toets. Die werking hiervan vertoon gunstige en beter resultate as die huidige, mikobacteriofaaggebaseerde
TB-diagnostiese toetse.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/71908 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Van der Merwe, Ruben Gerhard |
| Contributors | Gey van Pittius, Nicolaas Claudius, Warren, Robin Mark, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Biomedical Sciences. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xv, 257 p. : ill. (some col.) |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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