Rethinking Tuberculosis Treatment: Integrating Antimicrobial Compounds, Host Responses, and Comorbidities

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiotic Therapy in Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1152

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology. Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, 33520 Tampere, Finland
Interests: infection biology; antibiotic resistance; tuberculosis; bacterial infections; drug development; transcriptomics; enzymes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose a major global health challenge, underscored by the limited efficacy of current therapeutic regimens, the rapid emergence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, and heterogeneous treatment outcomes across patient populations. The failure to effectively integrate antimicrobial drug discovery with host immune modulation, vaccine development, and disease-associated comorbidities has contributed to persistent gaps in TB control.

This Special Issue of Antibiotics focuses on recent advances in anti-tubercular antimicrobial compounds, resistance mechanisms, and therapeutic strategies that extend beyond conventional pathogen-centered approaches. Emphasis is placed on the development of novel drugs, optimization of existing antibiotics, and host-directed therapies that enhance treatment efficacy and shorten disease duration. In parallel, contributions addressing vaccine strategies, drug–vaccine interfaces, and the influence of TB-associated comorbidities such as diabetes and HIV are welcomed. By integrating mechanistic insights with translational perspectives, this Special Issue aims to highlight innovative and realistic therapeutic pathways for improved TB management in the era of antimicrobial resistance.

Dr. Ashok Aspatwar
Dr. Wenping Gong
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
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • anti-tubercular drugs
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • host-directed therapy
  • TB vaccines
  • TB comorbidities
  • translational therapeutics

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.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 2383 KB  
Article
Deficiency of the Mycobacterial Lipoarabinomannan Biosynthesis Glycosyltransferase MptC Enhances Antibacterial Immune Response and Rifapicin Antibiotic Susceptibility
by Jiaxin Hu, Hongliang Chen, Zhongkun Li, Hao Sun, Yi-Cheng Sun and Xiao-Lian Zhang
Antibiotics 2026, 15(3), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics15030291 - 13 Mar 2026
Viewed by 667
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The mycobacterial complex cell envelope serves as a formidable barrier against host immunity and antibiotics. Lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are key structural components of the mycobacterial envelope and potent immunomodulators. The mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan biosynthesis mannosyltransferase MptC modifies the multiple α-(1→2)-linked branched [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The mycobacterial complex cell envelope serves as a formidable barrier against host immunity and antibiotics. Lipomannan (LM) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) are key structural components of the mycobacterial envelope and potent immunomodulators. The mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan biosynthesis mannosyltransferase MptC modifies the multiple α-(1→2)-linked branched mannan residues of LAM in the mycobacteria. However, the role of MptC in mycobacterial infectivity, antibiotic susceptibility and host immune regulation remains poorly understood. Methods: An mptC (also named MSMEG_4247) knockout Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2-155 (M. smeg) strain (designated as M. smegΔmptC) was generated using CRISPR–Cas12a technology. The effects of MptC on bacterial physiology, cell wall permeability, drug sensitivity, immune cell function, and survival during infection are analyzed through glycogen staining, drug sensitivity tests, and cellular and mouse infection models. Results: MptC deficiency results in a loss of LM and increase in LAM synthesis. The M. smegΔmptC mutant strain exhibits enhanced cell wall permeability and reduces hydrophobicity. Functionally, the mptC knockout strain increases the intracellular cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-a and IL-17) production of T cells in mice. Consequently, results based on both macrophage and mouse infection models demonstrate that the M. smegΔmptC strain has less bacterial loads and higher susceptibility to antibiotic rifampicin. Conclusions: Mannosyltransferase MptC plays an important role in maintaining cell wall integrity (via LM/LAM synthesis), regulating T cell responses, and influencing antibiotic susceptibility in mycobacteria. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop