Scientists find new drug targets for tuberculosis

Dr Matthew Lloyd, senior lecturer at the University of Bath, said: “These developments are very exciting, because for the first time we understand how the different compounds bind and have measured their strength of interaction with MCR.

“This is a very important step forward in our understanding of how this enzyme works and how its function can be blocked, potentially enabling development of better treatments for common and difficult to treat diseases.”

Researchers from the University of Bath’s Department of Life Sciences identified 12 compounds from two chemical families that bind to MCR and prevent it from functioning.

Using X-ray crystallography – a technique that produces high-resolution 3D images of molecules – the team captured the structures of MCR with and without the compounds, revealing how they attach to the enzyme.

The study showed that MCR functions differently from previously thought – finding that could inform the development of more effective drugs.

Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death in people with HIV and disproportionately affects low-income populations.

While vaccines and treatments are available, drug regimens are complex, and resistance to first-line treatments is increasing globally.

Professor Ravi Acharya, who led the structural biology work, said: “These results give us a great handle on which molecules we should explore further for drug development.

“Next we’d like to screen large numbers of similar molecules to identify better inhibitors that could be developed into drugs.”