To mark World Tuberculosis Day (24 March), Frontiers presents a selection of articles on the latest research, concepts and innovations in the field of TB.

Resistance in tuberculosis: what do we know and where can we go?

Frontiers in Microbiology

(Keith D. Green and Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova)

Many strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are becoming increasingly drug-resistant. A mini-review covers how different M. tuberculosis strains resist anti-tuberculosis drugs and how these resistance mechanisms can be overcome.

Current and Novel Approaches to Vaccine Development Against Tuberculosis

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

(Antonio Campos-Neto, Mark Cayabyab and Lilia Macovei)

There is currently no vaccine available to protect adults against M. tuberculosis. This review focuses on the current strategies and innovations being explored to create an effective tuberculosis vaccine.

The response of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species

Frontiers in Microbiology

(Iona Bartek, Martin I Voskuil, Gary K. Schoolnik and Kevin Visconti)

This paper studies how M. tuberculosis responds to a number of damaging highly reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, one of the body’s primary defenses against M. tuberculosis infection.

Functional characterization and evolution of the isotuberculosinol operon in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related Mycobacteria

Frontiers in Microbiology 

(Reuben J Peters, Francis M Mann, Meimei  Xu and Emily K Davenport)

This article attempts to understand the function of two M. tuberculosis genes, Rv3382c and Rv3383c, both believed to be important in human infection.

Pharmaceutical aerosols for the treatment and prevention of Tuberculosis

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

(Shumaila N. M. Hanif and Lucila Garcia-Contreras)

Pharmaceutical aerosols are usually used to treat conditions such as asthma. This review examines how they could be used to treat tuberculosis by delivering drugs and vaccines directly into the lungs.

NF-κB signaling dynamics play a key role in infection control in tuberculosis

Frontiers in Physiology

(Mohammad  Fallahi-Sichani, Denise E. Kirschner and Jennifer J. Linderman)

The human NF-κB signaling pathway is central to the body’s defensive response against many bacterial and viral attacks. This paper explores a mathematical model that studies how the NF-κB pathway reacts to M. tuberculosis infection.

Pathogenesis of tuberculosis and paratuberculosis 

**Frontiers in Microbiology **(Research Topic)****

(Topic editor: Adel M Talaat)

M. tuberculosis is closely related to another bacteria___,_ Mycobacterium avium__ subspecies paratuberculosis (M. paratuberculosis), which infects cattle_._ This Research Topic brings together a collection of special papers to cover the advances in the understanding of both diseases.