Genetics of drug resistance in tuberculosis

In the last few years, there has been considerable progress in our understanding of the mechanisms of action and resistance to antimycobacterials. To date, there is information about 11 genes involved in resistance in M. tuberculosis. This has prompted the development of novel tests for the rapid identification of resistant strains, and has provided invaluable insight into unique mycobacterial structures, which are important targets for the development of new inhibitory compounds.