Strategies for Designing Novel Anti-Tubercular Drugs with Special Reference to Mycobacterial MelF (Rv1936) as a Target

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem throughout the world. There is an immediate need to device novel anti-tubercular drugs (ATDs). Whole cell screening (WCS) and target based screening (TBS) approaches are widely used to devise new ATDs. WCS is considered relatively a favourable strategy but it lacks in the precise target knowledge, whereas the target based hit compounds may not ensure the drugability. In this manuscript, we have discussed the potent inhibitors designed against the mycobacterial MelF (Rv1936) by using the TBS as well as virtual ligand screening, which also revealed synergistic effect with the first-line bactericidal drugs, i.e., isoniazid and rifampicin.