Tuberculosis (TB) is a slow growing,
potentially debilitating disease
that has plagued humanity for centuries and has claimed numerous lives
across the globe. Concerted efforts by researchers have culminated
in the development of various strategies to combat this malady. This
review aims to raise awareness of the rapidly increasing incidences
of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR)
tuberculosis, highlighting the significant modifications that were
introduced in the TB treatment regimen over the past decade. A description
of the role of pathogen–host immune mechanisms together with
strategies for prevention of the disease is discussed. The struggle
to develop novel drug therapies has continued in an effort to reduce
the treatment duration, improve patient compliance and outcomes, and
circumvent TB resistance mechanisms. Herein, we give an overview of
the extensive medicinal chemistry efforts made during the past decade
toward the discovery of new chemotypes, which are potentially active
against TB-resistant strains.