Amino Acid Biosynthesis Inhibitors in Tuberculosis Drug Discovery

According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report, an estimated 10.6 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in 2022, and 1.30 million died. A major concern is the emergence of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains, fueled by the length of anti-TB treatment and HIV comorbidity. Innovative anti-TB agents acting with new modes of action are the only solution to counteract the spread of resistant infections. To escape starvation and survive inside macrophages, Mtb has evolved to become independent of the host by synthesizing its own amino acids. Therefore, targeting amino acid biosynthesis could subvert the ability of the mycobacterium to evade the host immune system, providing innovative avenues for drug discovery. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the most recent progress in the discovery of amino acid biosynthesis inhibitors. Among the hits discovered over the past five years, tryptophan (Trp) inhibitors stand out as the most advanced and have significantly contributed to demonstrating the feasibility of this approach for future TB drug discovery. Future efforts should be directed at prioritizing the chemical optimization of these hits to enrich the TB drug pipeline with high-quality leads.