<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>: Recent Advances in Drug Discovery and Targets – A SAR-Based Approach

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening infectious disease caused by the bacterium &lt;i&gt;Mycobacterium tuberculosis&lt;/i&gt; (MTB). Despite significant progress in medical science, TB remains a global health concern, affecting millions of people worldwide. Efforts to combat this disease have led to the development of various treatment regimens, and research in TB drug discovery continues to be a crucial area of study. Identifying the new drug targets is essential in the fight against MDR TB, TDR TB, and XDR TB. Owing to the current situation, the key aspect of modern drug discovery is based on the concept of structural information along with functional activity relationships to combat tuberculosis disease. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) involves understanding the relationship between a compound's chemical structure and its biological activity. The line of treatment of MTB addresses multiple targets, such as various ribosomal targets, including the exit tunnel of the 50S subunit of ribosome, DNA gyrase (GyrB), Inosine-5’-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPD), Adenosine kinases (AK), Chorismate mutase (CM), and many other targets as well. This chapter provides a complete insight into the existing medications versus newly developed drug molecules based on SAR, their protein targets, modes of action, and mechanisms of resistance. By comprehending the intricate relationship between the chemical structure of drugs and their biological activity, it is possible to develop more effective therapies to combat this deadly disease.