Tuberculosis is of epidemic proportions in vast areas of Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and South and Central America. In 1997 there were 3 million deaths due to tuberculosis. This disease is the leading infectious cause of death in the world today. In the absence of fully effective control, the projected number of deaths will reach 4 million by the year 2004. Drug- resistant strains are emerging, and are a major public health problem in the developing world, as well as in Europe and the U.S.A. Despite recent knowledge of mechanisms of drug activity and drug resistance, few new effective drugs have been developed. With the completion of the genome sequence for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, new avenues of research are now possible, including targeted drug development, identification and characterization of antigens for vaccine and diagnostic studies, and the definition of those factors that render the bacilli virulent and pathogenic. Therefore, the aims of this meeting are to communicate the latest knowledge obtained from the genome sequence of M. tuberculosis; to dissect the cell biology of M. tuberculosis interaction with the host cell; to understand the molecular basis of strain differences and patterns of transmission; to explore mechanisms of pathogenesis and protective immunity; and to develop strategies for manipulation of the immune response to enhance the host defense against tuberculosis. The exchange of knowledge among epidemiologists, cell biologists, immunologists, microbial geneticists, and biotechnologists will define the direction of new therapies, diagnostics and vaccines. This meeting is expected to attract many of the new young investigators in the field as well as recently trained students and post-doctoral fellows interested in identifying the most urgent problems of tuberculosis research. In addition, the multi-national representation of the speakers as well as their diverse backgrounds will stimulate discussion and promote the forging of new collaborations.
