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Introduction: An Overview of Host-Directed Therapies for Tuberculosis

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Advances in Host-Directed Therapies Against Tuberculosis

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Abstract

Interest in host directed therapy (HDT) for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) has emerged in recent years as antibiotics have failed to eradicate this disease. Lengthy treatment regimens coupled with the development of drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and a lack of profit incentives for pharmaceutical companies to develop novel anti-mycobacterial compounds has left a void in treatment options which some hope HDT strives to fill. Safe and well tolerated drugs that modulate the host immune system to fight infection may be repurposed from their original indication to help combat TB. These agents may be used in combination with standard antibiotics, as adjunctive therapy, to shorten treatment, prevent tissue damage, and prevent disease recurrence. Here we provide a general overview of the landscape of various HDTs currently in development for TB treatment.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tuberculosis Clinical Research Branch, Division of AIDS, NIAID, Rockville, MD, USA

    Daniel J. Frank

  2. Tuberculosis Clinical Research Branch, Division of AIDS, Columbus Technologies & Services Inc., Contractor to NIAID/NIH, Rockville, MD, USA

    Robert N. Mahon

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  1. Daniel J. Frank
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  2. Robert N. Mahon
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Correspondence to Daniel J. Frank .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Petros C. Karakousis

  2. Division of AIDS (DAIDS), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, USA

    Richard Hafner

  3. Public Health Research Institute New Jersey Medical School Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, USA

    Maria Laura Gennaro

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Frank, D.J., Mahon, R.N. (2021). Introduction: An Overview of Host-Directed Therapies for Tuberculosis. In: Karakousis, P.C., Hafner, R., Gennaro, M.L. (eds) Advances in Host-Directed Therapies Against Tuberculosis . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56905-1_1

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