Chapter 8 - Unlocking new ways to tackle tuberculosis using CRISPR-Cas as a potent weapon

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide despite the availability of a standard drug pipeline. The presence of remarkable virulent mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the emergence of drug resistance pose major challenges in TB control. Novel therapeutics targeting the virulent genes of M. tuberculosis are warranted, which can be achieved by identifying genes involved in pathogenesis and drug resistance. M. tuberculosis genes involved in host–pathogen interaction and invasion, lipid and fatty acid metabolism, mycolic acid synthesis, and adaptation to various bactericidal conditions can act as potential drug targets to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Various tools are available for understanding and validating novel targets; however, the time-consuming nature of the tools limits their utility. CRISPR-Cas protein system has revolutionized biomedical research as it is less time-consuming and has been used for the identification and validation of novel drug targets for deadly diseases. As a genome editing tool, CRISPR has emerged as a powerful tool that can be used for the identification of molecular mechanisms involved in TB pathogenesis. In this chapter, applications of CRISPR-Cas in the identification of virulent determinants of M. tuberculosis, along with drug discovery efforts using the tool to identify new drug targets for the development of potential therapeutics against TB would be discussed.