Advancement of functional peptides: Promising candidates for antituberculosis therapeutics

Author: Bojie LIN ¹ ; Siqi LIN ¹ ; Jiayi YANG ¹ ; Xuanyu YANG ¹ ; Shuhui WANG ¹ ; Yuting LIU ¹ ; Qianqian ZHANG ¹ ; Junfa XU ² ; Jiang PI ¹ ; Fen YANG ¹
Author Information

1. School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
2. School of Medical Technology, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China; Songshan Lake Innovation Center of Medicine & Engineering, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Antimicrobial peptides; Antituberculosis; Drug resistance; Multidrug resistance; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Peptides
From: Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;4(1):24-32
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB), a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is primarily airborne and remains a global health problem, especially in resource-limited countries and regions. The emergence of drug resistance in M. tuberculosis has rendered the existing means ineffective in the treatment of TB. Therefore, research in new therapeutic directions has become imperative. In this review, we outline functional peptides in terms of the mechanisms of action, anti-TB attempts, advantages and disadvantages, and latest advances, aiming to analyze the research progress in anti-TB peptides. Furthermore, we investigate the potential applications of bioactive compounds found in traditional Chinese Medicine within the context of peptides.