A new drug gives patients with tuberculosis a hope.

Accordint to "Remedium", "Infectex" company has successfully carried out clinical studies of SQ109 preparation in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with multiple drug-resistant pathogens. So, after half a year of experimental therapy, the incidence of bacterial overgrowth has increased up to 80% compared with standard therapy plus placebo (61%).

It is known that SQ109 is 1,2-ethylenediamine molecule, producing a triple effect. It does not work as standard antibiotics. Tests have shown the high effectiveness against mycobacteria tuberculosis. What is important is that the presence of multiple drug resistance, including broad resistance, was not a problem.

By the way, some time ago, the scientists of the University of Michigan found that an antimalarial drug (artemisinin) can change the therapy of tuberculosis and even slow the development of drug resistance. The bottom line is that the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis needs oxygen. The immune system deprives the bacteria of oxygen to control the infection.

In oxygen starvation the bacteria hibernate to protect themselves from stress. Artemisinin did not allow the bacteria to hibernate when antibiotics become useless. As a result, the bacteria stayed active, antibiotics worked, and the duration of therapy was reduced. Artemisinin attacks a molecule called heme, which is in the oxygen sensor of bacteria.

By disturbing the work of this sensor and, in particular, by simply turning it off, artemisinin deprived the bacteria of the ability to understand what the level of oxygen is. As a result, the bacteria did not fall asleep, but died. Using this approach, we can reduce the duration of treatment from 6 months and get rid of the most resistant bacteria.

Source: MEDdaily.