An Overview of Tuberculosis and Antitubercular Medications

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease and it is considered as an airborne bacterial disease. The causative bacteria for tuberculosis are the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. In TB, lungs are the primary affected organ in body ((pulmonary TB) but other organs of the body can also be affected (extra pulmonary TB). The salient symptoms associated with TB are fever, cough, weight loss and night sweats. Several underdeveloped and developing countries are affected badly by TB and it is reported as a major account of sickness as well as death. Currently, TB is more frequent globally as compare to at any other period in human civilization. The prevention and cure of this deadly disease have become an unavoidable challenge to medical sciences. However, TB is preventable as well as medically treatable. Approximately 85% of TB affected people can be successfully cured by following 6-month recommended medications. Moreover the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is prevalent globally and mainly used to inhibit the occurrence of fatal TB in infants and young children. But BCG has been revealed inefficacious in controlling the worldwide TB epidemic. Notably, due to the emergence of multi- and extensively-drug-resistant (MDR-TB and XDR-TB) strains, recently, TB epidemic imposes challenges to scientist to develop more effective novel drugs. Therefore, the current situation stimulates to generation of innovative strategies for the development of novel TB drugs. The repositioning and re-engineering of some old drug classes to attain more potential control is highly recommended. Irrespective of the approaches explored, achievement will depend mainly on our reasonable understanding of the complex interactions between the pathogen and its human host. In this review, we deliver the fundamental information regarding tuberculosis and discuss current approaches and recent advances towards innovations and development of anti-tubercular agents. Implementations of novel anti-tubercular drugs, awareness programs and financial assistance are highly advisable to stop the TB epidemic by 2035.