Abstract
Mycobacterial diseases are posing major global health challenges: tuberculosis remains one of the top ten causes of all death; leprosy and Buruli ulcer are still endemic in several parts of the world; and lung diseases caused by Mycobacterium abscessus or Mycobacterium avium are emerging source of concerns worldwide.
The mycobacterial diseases research field has evolved considerably in the past twenty years. From the dawn of molecular biology and virulence studies in the early 2000's, a growing interest on target validation and hit finding drove the renaissance of drug discovery, global effort that has culminated in the development of several approved and clinical-stage new drug classes in recent years. While significant investment is still lacking to accelerate costly clinical studies, a rich pipeline of validated targets and early-stage lead molecules gives hope of new drug regimens for not only multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, but also for non-tuberculosis mycobacteria.
Interestingly, a disproportionate number of clinical and preclinical drug candidates inhibits processes involved either in cell-wall synthesis and/or in bioenergetics, indicating that the mycobacterial cell-envelope - either its synthesis or biochemical processes embedded within it – is particularly vulnerable to chemical inhibition and a highly validated target space for anti-mycobacterial drug development.
To highlight the central role of the
We will consider research manuscripts or review articles in the following areas of interest:
New small-molecules at any stage of development targeting cell-wall synthesis in pathogenic mycobacteria, with potency against drug-resistant strains New small-molecules at any stage of development targeting bioenergetics in pathogenic mycobacteria, with potency against drug-resistant strains New insights into synergisms or antagonisms of cell-wall/bioenergetics targeting drugs with new or known drugs. Mode of action studies of drugs targeting cell-wall synthesis or bioenergetics. Structural insights into drug targets involved in cell-wall synthesis or bioenergetics. Review articles on historical or novel drug targets related to cell-wall synthesis or bioenergetics, and their relevance to develop next-generation drug regimens.
Please submit your manuscripts at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/mdr. You can reach out Dr. Boneca at ivo.gomperts-boneca@pasteur.fr with your questions/concerns.
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