Exploring the multifaceted roles of resuscitation-promoting factors in tuberculosis: Implications for diagnosis, vaccine development, and drug targeting

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating continued research efforts to unravel its complex pathogenesis and advance diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive strategies. Resuscitation-promoting factors (Rpfs) are peptidoglycan-hydrolyzing enzymes that have gained attention due to their key roles in TB infection dynamics. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Rpfs in TB, highlighting their immunological roles, diagnostic potential, and implications for vaccine development and drug targeting through both in silico and experimental approaches. Rpfs exhibit diverse roles in TB, influencing bacterial resuscitation from dormancy, and immune modulation through interactions with host immune cells, such as dendritic cells, and they are potential targets for novel diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Their ability to stimulate immune responses, particularly interferon-γ production by T cells, underscores their potential as vaccine candidates against TB. Moreover, Rpfs represent promising targets for drug discovery, with inhibitors potentially disrupting bacterial resuscitation and growth.