| Figure 2: Adverse drug responses of current tuberculosis treatment regimens (DOTS). Successful amelioration of tuberculosis needs dedicated compliance and
complete adherence. Standard treatment involves a combination of 4 drugs, which have the potential to eliminate M.tb but also generate many complications. Dark
boxes represent common complications linked directly to treatment with DOTS drugs. Immune impairments observed in mice need to be validated in humans. Lighter
boxes represent probable complications. Incomplete adherence or premature termination of treatment leads to the emergence of multiple drug-resistant (MDR) strains
whose treatment requires more toxic drugs with low efficacy. Moreover, subsequent treatment failure can promote bacterial evolution towards the development of
extremely drug-resistant (XDR) strains. |
