New Class of Tuberculosis-Fighting Antibiotics Suggested By
Biochemical-Pathway Study (Philadelphia, PA) - A worldwide
health problem, tuberculosis kills more people than any other
bacterial infection. The World Health Organization estimates
that two billion people are infected with TB, and that two
million people die each year from the disease. However, due to
multi-drug resistance and a protracted medication regimen, it is
extremely difficult to treat. Hence, there is still a great deal
of interest in developing new anti-tubercular drugs. Researchers
at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have
identified a biochemical target that could lead to a new class
of antibiotics to fight TB. They report their findings in this
week’s online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences. In a proof-of-principle study, Harvey Rubin, MD,
PhD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and
colleagues were able to stop the bacteria from multiplying by
inhibiting the first step i