TB: What’s Going on Today?

Tuberculosis or TB has spread its wrath throughout the world for decades. TB is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis which seeks to attack the lungs but can impact other portions of the body’s tissues. Scientists from Cornell have now discovered a new regulatory structure in the bacterium to use as a target for antibiotics. This research is particularly relevant as TB continues to become increasingly antibiotic resistant. This regulatory structure known as the T-box is activated when the bacteria senses a depletion of a particular amino acid. The researchers determined the T-box to be a great target for antibiotics because the T-box is only found in the bacteria and it is essential for the bacterial growth. Thus, destroying the T-box, kills the bacteria. Since humans do not have T-boxes, the researchers would not have to worry about toxicity or side effects when creating the antibiotic. While there is no antibiotic that targets the T-box yet, researchers consider the discovery and analysis of the T-box structure to be a great leap towards discovering a new antibiotic that acts against TB.

TB is still impacting the world with 95% of the cases occurring in developing countries. In 2018, 1.5 million people died from this preventable disease. TB is also one of the top 10 causes of death. It’s saddening to think that this illness is still taking the lives of so many when it is completely preventable. However, several global organizations are working to help eliminate TB from the world by providing treatment, funds, research, and education about TB. One such organization is WHO or The World Health Organization. The efforts of WHO and other organizations hope to end the TB epidemic by 2030, however currently the epidemic is decreasing by about 2% per year when it needs to be descending by a rate of about 4% per year to reach the 2030 eradication goal. 

Additionally, multi drug resistant TB is becoming an increasing concern impacting the ability to treat TB with 484,000 new cases of TB being resistant to rifampicin which is the most effective antibiotic acting against TB. The reason for antibiotic resistance becoming such a problem for TB is the course of treatment for the illness. TB is treated by several rounds of a combination of antibiotics. If these antibiotics are not taken properly it leaves room for the bacteria to develop resistance. Many people do not take these antibiotics correctly, or do not take all of them because they start to feel better. Thus within the last few years medical professionals have had to step in and start personally managing patients medications so they take them correctly. Personally, I commend the efforts of these organizations to try and globally eradicate TB but I know that task is almost impossible without complete public and medical cooperation. Additionally, antibiotic resistance is another new and foreign obstacle in the way of eradication and researchers are desperately trying to learn and educate the health of this increasing problem.