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Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed non-antibiotic drug to treat tuberculosis in animals, the drug targets Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ defences rather than the bacteria. Tuberculosis is common in Africa, India and China.
University of Manchester team’s discovery has been proven effective in guinea pigs. Animals with acute and chronic TB infection were treated with the compound, which was discovered after investigating dozens of other derivatives and compounds thought to have similar properties.
According to Professor Lydia Tabernero, the project leader, the fact that the animal studies showed the compound, which doesn’t kill the bacteria directly, resulted in a significant reduction in the bacterial burden is remarkable. The use of antibiotics do not clear the infection and the risk of being infected with drug-resistant bacteria is very high.
Disabling the clandestine bacteria’s defences enhances the chances of the body’s immune system to eliminate the pathogen. Mycobacterium Tuberculosis secretes molecules called Virulence Factors – the cell’s secret weapon which block out the immune response to the infection, making it difficult to treat.
Researchers identified one Virulence Factor called MptpB as a suitable target, which when blocked allows white blood cells to kill Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in a more efficient way. Because the bacteria hasn’t been threatened directly, it is less likely to develop resistance against this new agent, and this will be a major advantage over current antibiotics, for which bacteria had already become resistant.