Researchers identify new TB inhibitors

In two separate papers published in Nature Chemical Biology and Cell, researchers identified inhibitors of previously untargeted Mycobacterium tuberculosis enzymes that showed efficacy against tuberculosis in in vivo models.

In a paper published in Cell, researchers at Texas A&M University and other institutions showed a benzofuran derivative inhibited the active site of polyketide synthase 13 (PKS13), an essential enzyme involved in M. tuberculosis cell wall construction, and was effective against TB infection in mice. While polyketides have formed the basis for many drugs, polyketide synthase enzymes have not yet been targeted to treat TB...