Mycobacterial Lipid Antigens against Tuberculosis Chemical synthesis and T Cell Activation

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by bacteria named Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is the second biggest infectious disease after AIDS. The cell envelope of M.tuberculosis contains many unique lipids which play a key role in the pathogenicity. Some of the lipids have been identified as antigens, the phenolic glycolipids (PGLs), the lipoarabinomannan (LAM), and the phosphatidylinositolmannoside (PIMs). This book provides a comprehensive discussion about the PIMs epitopes identification, synthesis, and its immunological activity presented by the the CD1 molecules.