A novel approach to eradicate latent TB: Based on resuscitation promoting factors

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a growing unsolved health concern, as it is the main infectious cause of death in the globe. The ability of the pathogen to develop into a dormant state is the main obstacle in overcoming the disease. It seems that the development of compounds that can target latent TB is the key to eradicate this pathogen. In this regard, many researchers started to search for novel compounds that could inhibit the activity of molecules involved in the resuscitation of latent bacilli. The discovery of an extremely potent anti-dormancy factor, a resuscitation-promoting factor (Rpf) from Micrococcus luteus, shifted the idea towards developing potent inhibitors of Rpfs to establish latent TB and avoid reactivation of the sleeping pathogen. However, besides the advantages of this approach over the application of annoying long-term regimes of toxic antibiotics, such approaches that rely on silencing latent TB have many drawbacks that may question their application in human research. The major drawback of the current approaches is that they hide the latent TB rather than treating/eradicating it. Here, we propose a novel cost-effective approach that could effectively eradicate both active and latent TB in a short period of time without having any risk of reactivation. é 2013 Tehran University of Medical Sciences.