Fungi: An Amazing and Hidden Source of Antimycobacterial compounds ​

Tuberculosis is an endemic disease of the poverty ridden, undernourished and over populated countries of the world. It is also a systemic disease that is extremely dependent on the physiology of the system it invades and thus varies signifi cantly from person to person. New developments in the treatment of this d isease have rarely percolated down to the larger sections of the under privileged in our societies. The need for highly active, long acting, yet less expensive drugs against Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis still exists. Research initiative on endophytic fungi as a source of such biotherapeutics is an important step that could help to tackle the need. Complete eradication of tuberculosis is certainly possible by integration of research results and public health programs. However, such initiatives have been hindered by the lack of effective communication lines in many countries of the world. Language is just one of the several hurdles! Nationalistic jingoism is another!! A major initiative could be to investigate the effects of the mixtures of compounds already known to have activities against different strains of M. tuberculosis. Such as, those reported in the local knowledge forums of Ayurvedics in villages of India and in allopathic medical publications. We must have a “United Front to Combat Tuberculosis” (UFCT)—A Worldwide Effort.