Synthesis and Biological Aspects of Mycolic Acids: An Important Target Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

• Main Authors: Marcus Vinícius Nora de Souza, Marcelle de Lima Ferreira, Alessandra Campbell Pinheiro, Maurício Frota Saraiva, Mauro Vieira de Almeida, Marcelo Siqueira Valle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2008-01-01
• Series: The Scientific World Journal
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2008.99

Mycolic acids are an important class of compounds, basically found in the cell walls of a group of bacteria known as mycolata taxon, exemplified by the most famous bacteria of this group, the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb.), the agent responsible for the disease known as tuberculosis (TB). Mycolic acids are important for the survival of M. tb. For example, they are able to help fight against hydrophobic drugs and dehydration, and also allow this bacterium to be more effective in the host's immune system by growing inside macrophages. Due to the importance of the mycolic acids for maintenance of the integrity of the mycobacterial cell wall, these compounds become attractive cellular targets for the development of novel drugs against TB. In this context, the aim of this article is to highlight the importance of mycolic acids in drug discovery.