Mycobacterial Infection: Pathogenesis and Drug Development
A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Bacterial Pathogens".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2025) | Viewed by 3888
Special Issue Editor
Interests: mycobacteria in household plumbing; biofilm formation by mycobacteria; mycobacterial gene transfer; identification of new anti-mycobacterial antibiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The breadth of topics in this Special Issue of Pathogens might seem rather wide; however, individuals consider that the topics are intertwined as the mycobacteria are intracellular pathogens. Further, the progress of studies of mycobacterial pathogenesis and drug delivery needs to be accelerated by novel concepts concerning these two topics. Thus, there is strong justification for this Special Issue.
To contribute to the need for novel concepts concerning mycobacterial pathogenesis and drug development, the Editor offers the following hypothesis. Although the mycobacteria grow slowly, they have a robust metabolism. Slow growth is due, in part, to the diversion of resources (namely ATP) to the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids (C60-C80) for the almost drug-impregnable outer membrane. Slow death is characteristic of the mycobacteria, but with rapid metabolism, there is energy to adapt to the challenges of survival in phagocytic cells and the imbalances due to antibiotic exposure before cells are killed. Adaptations could permit the survival of phagocytozed or drug-exposed mycobacterial cells. What about looking for novel proteins or mRNAs in such mycobacterial cells?
Prof. Dr. Joseph Oliver Falkinham
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- mycobacteria
- adaptation
- phagocytic survival
- drug-exposed recovery
- resource diversion
- dormancy
- persisting cells
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