Resistance and Evolving Biology in Mycobacteria: Multidisciplinarity as a Contemporary Approach
A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiotic Therapy in Infectious Diseases".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1660
Special Issue Editors
Interests: tuberculosis; drug resistance; evolutionary biology; molecular diagnostics
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Drug resistance has widely been recognized as a major challenge to effective tuberculosis (TB) control worldwide, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis is considered the leading cause of drug-resistant airborne epidemics globally. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertions, and deletions are recognized as the key drivers of M. tuberculosis’ resistance to antituberculosis drugs. The absence of evidence for horizontal gene transfer among TB pathogens has made identifying the genetic foundations of drug resistance somewhat more straightforward; however, the evolutionary complexity of M. tuberculosis, particularly in relation to resistance development, still demands thorough investigation, with a need for attention to be given both to the bacterium itself and its interactions with humans as hosts. Presently, M. tuberculosis strains are classified into seven primary phylogenetic lineages and multiple sublineages, each of which has co-evolved with its host population, resulting in differing propensities for resistance development and, consequently, varied therapeutic outcomes. Despite this, many mutations observed in resistant strains have not yet been conclusively linked to resistance, and numerous resistant strains remain uncharacterized at the molecular genetic level. Even with the availability of potent last-line anti-TB drugs, around half of those infected still succumb to the disease.
The global rise in infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), coupled with their increasing resistance to antibiotics—especially anti-TB drugs—poses a significant public health threat. The lack of targeted treatments and the growing difficulty in discovering new antibiotics further exacerbate the challenge. Resistant NTM strains are now infecting not only immunocompromised individuals but also those previously considered healthy. This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for intensified research efforts to develop novel therapeutic strategies and effective drug combinations to combat these resilient pathogens.
In this Special Issue, we will highlight original and review articles that explore the diverse aspects of M. tuberculosis and NTM evolutionary biology in the context of resistance, emphasizing a multidisciplinary research approach. We are looking forward to receiving your papers, and are very grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate with you in this way.
Dr. Irena Arandjelovic
Prof. Dr. Dragana Vukovic
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- tuberculosis
- drug resistance
- evolutionary biology
- pathogen-host interactions
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
