Role of immune checkpoints in the treatment of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis remains a serious threat to human health.Although the existing anti-tuberculosis drugs can control the development of most tuberculosis, some tuberculosis, especially multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, still can not be completely controlled.The immune checkpoints refer to some inhibitory receptors expressed on immune cells.They can induce immunosuppressive signals, by binding to their specific ligands, hence leading to the exhaustion of effective immune cells, especially T cells.It will probably make mycobacterium tuberculosis more prone to growth and reproduction.The immune cell dysfunction and immune escape, mediated by immune checkpoints, may be one of the important mechanisms of the failure control for tuberculosis.The immune checkpoint may become a promising target for the host-directed therapy of tuberculosis, as an adjunct to conventional anti-tuberculosis treatment.This article aims to review the role of immune checkpoints in the pathogenesis and treatment of tuberculosis. Key words: Tuberculosis; Immunity; T-lymphocyte; Immune checkpoint