New tuberculosis drug development: Targeting the shikimate pathway

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet no new drugs have been developed in the last 40 years. Objective: The exceedingly lengthy TB chemotherapy and the increasing emergence of drug resistance complicated by HIV co-infection call for the development of new TB drugs. These problems are further compounded by a poor understanding of the biology of persister bacteria. Methods: New molecular tools have offered insights into potential new drug targets, particularly the enzymes of the shikimate pathway, which is the focus of this review. Results/conclusion: Shikimate pathway enzymes, especially shikimate kinase, may offer attractive targets for new TB drug and vaccine development.