Agar medium for the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
AssigneeNational Jewish Medical and Research Center
InventorsLeonid Heifets, Tracy Sanchez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel agar medium for the isolation, sub-cultivation, and indirect or direct drug-susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of isolating and growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis and methods of drug-resistance screening using the agar medium of the invention.
Claims42
An agar medium, comprising:
- a. an agar base suitable for growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis;
- and,
- b. animal serum at a concentration of between about 8% and 12% of the final volume of the agar medium;
- wherein said medium is at a pH of between about 6.0 to about 6.25.
A method for culturing Mycobacterium tuberculosis, comprising inoculating an agar medium with a sample containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis, wherein said agar medium comprises:
- a. an agar base suitable for growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis;
- and,
- b. animal serum at a concentration of between about 8% and 12% of the final volume of the agar medium;
- wherein said medium is at a pH of between about 6.0 to about 6.25.
A method for testing the drug susceptibility of a culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, comprising:
- a. inoculating an agar medium with a sample containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis, wherein said agar medium comprises:
- i. an agar base suitable for growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis;
- ii. animal serum at a concentration of between about 8% and 12% of the final volume of the agar medium;
- and
- iii. an amount of at least one drug effective for selection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis organisms that are susceptible to said drug;
- wherein said medium is at a pH of between about 6.0 to about 6.25;
- b. incubating said inoculated agar medium for a time sufficient to detect growth of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the absence of a growth-inhibiting drug;
- and,
- c. measuring growth of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis on said agar medium as compared to growth of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis on said agar medium in the absence of said at least one drug, wherein a growth rate of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis on said agar medium containing said at least one drug that is less than a pre-established drug-resistance level for said at least one drug, when compared to the growth rate of said Mycobacterium tuberculosis on said agar medium in the absence of said at least one drug, indicates that said Mycobacterium tuberculosis is susceptible to said at least one drug.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.