Diseases caused by Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs) are emerging as a significant threat to the health and economy of people worldwide. The prevalence of lung illness due to NTMs infections is increasing globally, constituting a significant proportion of diagnosed NTM cases in clinical settings, particularly among individuals with compromised immune systems. More than 170 NTM species have been reported, of which a handful of orgnisms, including fast-growing species such as Mycobacterium avium complex and M. Kansasii, as well as slow-growing species, like M. abscessus can cause pulmonary infections commonly in the geriatric population and in people with pre-existing chronic lung problems, such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). NTM disease is mostly disseminated through aerosols originated from the environment and can present as a multifaceted genetic disorder that is influenced by both genetic interactions and environmental variables. The escalating prevalence of NTM infections warrants additional investigation into the underlying aetiology and pathogenesis.
In the clinical setting, differential diagnosis of NTM diseases from tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is challenging due to the lack of specificity in conventional smear acid fast staining method. Therefore, more specific, and highly sensitive diagnostic methods are urgently needed to improve detection of NTMs in specimens. Although drug therapy is recommended for the management of majority of NTMs infections, the common antitubercular drugs are ineffective against NTMs. Furthermore, drug treatment is complicated by the prolonged treatment duration, substantial cost of the combination drugs, and frequent occurrence of drug-related toxic side effects. Despite this, the efficacy of pharmacological therapy for NTM diseases is suboptimal, potentially because of the intrinsic antibiotic resistance exhibited by pathogenic NTMs. Thus, research to identify and evaluate specific and more efficacious therapeutics are critically needed for effective control of NTM disease worldwide.
This Research Topic focuses on the factors that impact the pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, drug resistance, virulence, and dormancy of NTMs. Additionally, it aims to elucidate the strategies employed by these bacteria to elude the immune system and establish chronic infection within the host. This Research Topic spans a wide range of subjects, including but not limited to the following concepts:
• Identifying and characterizing bacterial factors associated with drug resistance, tolerance, persistence, and virulence, including studies of their structure and function.
• Investigating the host-pathogen interactions, including host immune response and how the bacteria evade the host immune defense.
• In vitro and in vivo studies on developing new therapies, including host-directed therapies (HDT) and vaccines that target replicating and persistent bacteria.
• Studies evaluating novel diagnostic modalities for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant bacteria using methods such as molecular, cellular, and immunological assays in patient samples and/or in vitro or in vivo model systems.
We welcome the submission of reviews, mini reviews, and original research.
Keywords:
mycobacteria, nontuberculous, NTM (Nontuberculous Mycobacteria), antimycobacterial drug discovery, infectious disease, host-pathogen interaction, drug resistance
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Diseases caused by Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs) are emerging as a significant threat to the health and economy of people worldwide. The prevalence of lung illness due to NTMs infections is increasing globally, constituting a significant proportion of diagnosed NTM cases in clinical settings, particularly among individuals with compromised immune systems. More than 170 NTM species have been reported, of which a handful of orgnisms, including fast-growing species such as Mycobacterium avium complex and M. Kansasii, as well as slow-growing species, like M. abscessus can cause pulmonary infections commonly in the geriatric population and in people with pre-existing chronic lung problems, such as cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). NTM disease is mostly disseminated through aerosols originated from the environment and can present as a multifaceted genetic disorder that is influenced by both genetic interactions and environmental variables. The escalating prevalence of NTM infections warrants additional investigation into the underlying aetiology and pathogenesis.
In the clinical setting, differential diagnosis of NTM diseases from tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is challenging due to the lack of specificity in conventional smear acid fast staining method. Therefore, more specific, and highly sensitive diagnostic methods are urgently needed to improve detection of NTMs in specimens. Although drug therapy is recommended for the management of majority of NTMs infections, the common antitubercular drugs are ineffective against NTMs. Furthermore, drug treatment is complicated by the prolonged treatment duration, substantial cost of the combination drugs, and frequent occurrence of drug-related toxic side effects. Despite this, the efficacy of pharmacological therapy for NTM diseases is suboptimal, potentially because of the intrinsic antibiotic resistance exhibited by pathogenic NTMs. Thus, research to identify and evaluate specific and more efficacious therapeutics are critically needed for effective control of NTM disease worldwide.
This Research Topic focuses on the factors that impact the pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, drug resistance, virulence, and dormancy of NTMs. Additionally, it aims to elucidate the strategies employed by these bacteria to elude the immune system and establish chronic infection within the host. This Research Topic spans a wide range of subjects, including but not limited to the following concepts:
• Identifying and characterizing bacterial factors associated with drug resistance, tolerance, persistence, and virulence, including studies of their structure and function.
• Investigating the host-pathogen interactions, including host immune response and how the bacteria evade the host immune defense.
• In vitro and in vivo studies on developing new therapies, including host-directed therapies (HDT) and vaccines that target replicating and persistent bacteria.
• Studies evaluating novel diagnostic modalities for drug-sensitive and drug-resistant bacteria using methods such as molecular, cellular, and immunological assays in patient samples and/or in vitro or in vivo model systems.
We welcome the submission of reviews, mini reviews, and original research.
Keywords:
mycobacteria, nontuberculous, NTM (Nontuberculous Mycobacteria), antimycobacterial drug discovery, infectious disease, host-pathogen interaction, drug resistance
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.