01387nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002800055653001900083653001100102653001800113653003100131653001300162653001700175100001800192245004000210300001000250490000600260520088900266022001401155       1986                            d  c1986 Dec10aDNA Restriction Enzymes10aDNA, Bacterial10aHumans10aMycobacterium10aNucleic Acid Hybridization10aPlasmids10aTuberculosis1 aShoemaker S A00aMolecular biology and mycobacteria.  a265-90 v13 a<p>Mycobacteria and molecular biology provide an interesting combination of the old and the new. Using modern techniques, it will be possible to develop new ways to approach ancient diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy and more modern diseases such as disseminated MAC infections in patients with AIDS. DNA probes will be developed to rapidly diagnose mycobacterial infections with greater accuracy. We will gain a better understanding of how infections spread if we can identify different strains of a given species and if we can monitor close contacts of infected patients with more specific immunologic tests. By understanding mechanisms of drug resistance and the host immune response to mycobacterial infection, it may be possible to develop more effective modes of treatment. Finally, it may be possible to develop effective vaccines to control the spread of infection.</p>  a0882-0546