About the Authors

Thomas Junghanss

thomas.junghanss@urz.uni-heidelberg.de

Affiliation Section Clinical Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany

Alphonse Um Boock

Affiliation Leprosy Relief Emmaus-Switzerland (ALES), Bureau Régional pour l'Afrique, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Moritz Vogel

Affiliation Section Clinical Tropical Medicine, University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany

Daniela Schuette

Affiliation Department of Medical Parasitology/Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basle, Switzerland

Helmut Weinlaeder

Affiliation Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research, Functional Materials for Energy Technology, Wuerzburg, Germany

Gerd Pluschke

Affiliation Department of Medical Parasitology/Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical Institute, Basle, Switzerland

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: TJ AUB DS HW GP. Performed the experiments: TJ AUB MV DS HW GP. Analyzed the data: TJ AUB MV DS HW GP. Wrote the paper: TJ AUB MV DS HW GP. All co-authors participated in various aspects of the study, analysis, and interpretation of data, and to the development of the manuscript. The final version was seen and approved by all authors. First author of the manuscript: TJ. Developed the idea of using PCM as a heat delivery system to treat Buruli ulcers (together with the engineer Dr. M. Hellmann), contributed to the conception of the study design, enrollment and monitoring of the study patients, data interpretation and led the development of the manuscript: TJ. Contributed to the conception of the study design and monitoring of the study patients (laboratory component), data interpretation and the development of the manuscript: GP. Was the local principal investigator in cooperation with TJ and MV and contributed to the conception of the study design, enrollment and monitoring of the study patients, data interpretation and the development of the manuscript: AUB. Contributed to the enrollment and monitoring of the study patients in cooperation with TJ and AUB, and to the data interpretation and the development of the manuscript: MV. Contributed to the monitoring of the study patients, data interpretation and the development of the manuscript (laboratory component): DS. Contributed to the conception of the study design and monitoring of the study patients, data interpretation and the development of the manuscript with regard to the PCM-based heat delivery device: HW.