Outsmarting the Superbug: A Look at New Targets for Tuberculosis Treatment

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose a huge public health issue, with millions of new cases and deaths each year. The conventional six-month antibiotic treatment typically results in insufficient therapy and drug resistance. The chapter delves into the current advancements in TB drug discovery, driven by progress in genomics, proteomics, and structural biology, providing a deeper insight into Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium responsible for TB. These advances have unveiled new TB drug targets across various cellular processes, such as metabolism, cell wall synthesis, and protein synthesis. The current chapter explains the anti-TB agents acting on these targets. The chapter also delves into the challenges posed by drug resistance, pharmacokinetics (PKs), and safety issues, concluding with future prospects for TB drug discovery and the promise of novel targets to combat this persistent global health threat.