Developments in Tuberculosis Research and Treatment

Tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. Despite saving an estimated 83 million lives since 2000, it claimed 1.23 million deaths in 2024 and a similar or higher number in previous years, while continuing to cause over 10 million new cases annually, including 10.4 million in 2024, according to the World Health Organization. Progress toward eradicating TB is multisectoral and depends both on the development of new tools in treatment and diagnostics and of effective advocacy to ensure rapid access to diagnostics and treatment while also addressing the stigma that remains associated with the disease in vulnerable communities. In this book, an international community of authors presents chapters on advances in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis and challenges of extrapulmonary tuberculosis treatment. Collectively, these contributions summarise recent advances that help us stay at the forefront of the fight with the disease, now claimed a major cause of deaths related to antimicrobial resistance, and gradually edge closer to achieving the WHO targets of reducing TB incidence by 80%, TB deaths by 90%, and eliminating catastrophic costs for TB-affected households by 2030. The topics covered range from new all-oral regimens and the use of steroids in TB to AI-driven innovations in diagnostic imaging. They also include discussions of central nervous system-penetrating agents and novel mucosal delivery systems for neglected forms such as genital tract TB. The book, published by IntechOpen, attempts to broaden access to publishing for a diverse range of authors and is united by a shared commitment to fighting this difficult-to-eradicate and recurring disease.