title: Translating the Tuberculosis Research Agenda: Much Accomplished, but Much More to Be Done.
abstract: Despite the availability of effective diagnostics and curative treatment regimens for tuberculosis, millions of people die each year of this disease. The steady global increase in the number of tuberculosis cases caused by multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are of major concern, especially in light of the thin tuberculosis drug pipeline. New tuberculosis drugs are undergoing clinical evaluation, and renewed hope comes from fresh approaches to improve treatment outcomes using a range of adjunct host-directed cellular and repurposed drug therapies. Current efforts in developing second-generation and new rapid point-of-care diagnostic assays take advantage of recent genetic and molecular advances. Slow progress in the development of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines requires increased funding for basic as well as translational research. Although major challenges remain, these can be overcome by cementing our resolve, raising advocacy, bolstering global funder investments, and leveraging more effective collaborations through equitable public-private partnerships.
authors.affiliation: Critical Path to TB Drug Regimens, Critical Path Institute, Tucson, Arizona.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schito
authors.affiliation: Therapeutic Immunology Division, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet Center for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maeurer
authors.affiliation: Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Critical Path to TB Drug Regimens, Critical Path Institute, Tucson, Arizona.
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hanna
authors.affiliation: Division of Infection and Immunity Center for Clinical Microbiology, University College London Biomedical Research Centre at University College Hospitals NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alimuddin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zumla
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics; D055808:Drug Discovery; D014943:Global Health; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D018088:Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents
keywords: drug resistance; new treatment regimens; research; resource-limited settings; tuberculosis