[What Hansen's disease research learned from tuberculosis research: from molecular biological aspect].

As for the Mycobacterium leprae which is a causative agent of Hansen's disease, many studies had been done since it was identified in 1873. However, those studies, at the same time, experienced many struggles because of the difficulty of culture of M. leprae on the artificial growth media. Hence, the study of Hansen's disease progressed by taking the knowledge from the study of tuberculosis caused by the bacteria belonging to the same genus, genus Mycobacterium. For instance, the knowledge of mutations in specific genes responsible for rifampicin- and quinolone-resistance in M. tuberculosis led the elucidation of drug-resistant acquisition mechanism of M. leprae. Similarly, it is necessary for the researcher of Hansen's disease to get important information from the latest topic of the tuberculosis study and utilize them to the study of the disease.