Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Surviving and Indulging in an Unwelcoming Host

Abstract

More than a century has passed since the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) as the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), we still are nowhere close to eradicating this deadly disease. Moreover, emergence of new drug-resistant strains has further complicated the situation, making it even more difficult to treat by conventional therapy regimens. Humans are the only reservoir for the existence and propagation of Mtb, which suggests that its latent forms will be most difficult to eradicate, till the human race lasts. Mtb has been associated with us for ages and its evolution is strictly guided to exploit its human host for survival and spread. The strategies employed by Mtb are unique and host specific, thereby making it hard to break this association without accurate understanding of this host-pathogen interaction. Metabolic pathways have always been at the heart of Mtb pathogenesis, with a continuous cross-talk between the pathogen and the host. Over the years, Mtb has mastered the art of manipulating the host machinery, along with modulating its own metabolism for survival in the hostile conditions. Here we aim to summarize the history of tuberculosis, its pathology and recent advances in basic understanding of the machinery, with eventual gape on the novel therapeutic strategies emerged in the past decade. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 70(9):917-925, 2018.

Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis; host pathogen interaction; macrophage; metabolic pathways; tuberculosis.