Photodynamic therapy-based tuberculosis treatment

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious communicable bacterial disease that has been a global health burden for many years, with an estimated one in four people infected with the disease. TB is an airborne disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It typically infects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect other sites, such as the brain and spine (extrapulmonary TB). The occurrence of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) has greatly affected treatment outcomes. A novel alternative treatment for TB has emerged over the last few years called photodynamic therapy (PDT). Typically, PDT is used for the treatment of various cancers, but its use in the treatment of drug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms (antimicrobial PDT or antimicrobial photoinactivation) is gaining popularity. PDT is minimally invasive and involves the combination of a photosensitizer (PS), molecular oxygen, and laser light at a specific wavelength. The result is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that selectively damage target cells in an athermic manner.