Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains one of the major causes of infectious disease mortality. In 2020, WHO estimated that there are more than 10 million new TB cases and 1 million deaths globally, which is the first annual increase in the number of death since 2005. According to the latest “Global Tuberculosis Report” released by WHO, the trend of increased mortality continued in 2021.
In their long evolution histories, intracellular bacteria including Mtb have been adapting to survive by acquiring resistance to antibiotics and host surveillance through spontaneous mutation or immune evasion, etc. Among these, Mtb is extremely challenging to eradicate due to the poor intracellular penetration of the commonly used anti-TB drugs and the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel methods in the discrimination of active TB from latent TB infection (LTBI) and to develop novel vaccines and therapeutics against TB infections, which requires a better understanding of molecular and immunological mechanisms of the host-bacteria interactions during the intracellular infection process.
This Research Topic aims to gather articles presenting state-of-the-art research, novel discoveries, and future directions focusing on the innate and adaptive immunity against tuberculosis infection, and the latest progress of novel vaccines and immunotherapies in pre-clinical and clinical studies.
We welcome submissions of Original Research, Reviews, Clinical Trials, Opinions, and Case Report articles. The collection of articles includes but is not limited to the following subtopics:
1) Updates on the host’s innate/adaptive immunity against intracellular Mtb infection;
2) Updates on the immune escape mechanisms of intracellular Mtb;
3) Updates on the antimicrobial resistance mechanisms of intracellular Mtb;
4) Host-pathogen crosstalk at the local sites of infection;
5) Novel drugs and host-directed prevention/therapies to combat intracellular Mtb infection;
6) Novel insights and approaches to anti-Mtb vaccine and immunotherapy research development in pre-clinical and clinical studies;
7) Novel antibacterial agents targeting intracellular Mtb;
8) Novel intracellular drug delivery methods such as nanocarriers loaded with antibiotics.
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains one of the major causes of infectious disease mortality. In 2020, WHO estimated that there are more than 10 million new TB cases and 1 million deaths globally, which is the first annual increase in the number of death since 2005. According to the latest “Global Tuberculosis Report” released by WHO, the trend of increased mortality continued in 2021.
In their long evolution histories, intracellular bacteria including Mtb have been adapting to survive by acquiring resistance to antibiotics and host surveillance through spontaneous mutation or immune evasion, etc. Among these, Mtb is extremely challenging to eradicate due to the poor intracellular penetration of the commonly used anti-TB drugs and the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel methods in the discrimination of active TB from latent TB infection (LTBI) and to develop novel vaccines and therapeutics against TB infections, which requires a better understanding of molecular and immunological mechanisms of the host-bacteria interactions during the intracellular infection process.
This Research Topic aims to gather articles presenting state-of-the-art research, novel discoveries, and future directions focusing on the innate and adaptive immunity against tuberculosis infection, and the latest progress of novel vaccines and immunotherapies in pre-clinical and clinical studies.
We welcome submissions of Original Research, Reviews, Clinical Trials, Opinions, and Case Report articles. The collection of articles includes but is not limited to the following subtopics:
1) Updates on the host’s innate/adaptive immunity against intracellular Mtb infection;
2) Updates on the immune escape mechanisms of intracellular Mtb;
3) Updates on the antimicrobial resistance mechanisms of intracellular Mtb;
4) Host-pathogen crosstalk at the local sites of infection;
5) Novel drugs and host-directed prevention/therapies to combat intracellular Mtb infection;
6) Novel insights and approaches to anti-Mtb vaccine and immunotherapy research development in pre-clinical and clinical studies;
7) Novel antibacterial agents targeting intracellular Mtb;
8) Novel intracellular drug delivery methods such as nanocarriers loaded with antibiotics.