New molecular mechanisms related to drug resistance in tuberculosis

Abstract

Despite the global efforts tuberculosis (TB) remains as one of the most important infectious disease and with the greatest impact on global public health, this situation has been aggravated in recent decades by the growing problem of drug resistance (DR). Such is the impact of the drug resistant in tuberculosis that would threaten the Millennium Development Goals. In addition to polymorphisms in genes associated with drug resistance in tuberculosis, new mechanisms have being described in recent years. Considering the above, the aim of this mini-review is to give a brief description of the traditional mechanisms related with drug resistance and to describe two of the new mechanisms that will have an important impact in the next future; efflux pumps and DNA damage repair mechanisms.