Work

Mycobacterium leprae Is Naturally Resistant to PA-824

Year: 2006

Type: article

Abstract: Leprosy responds very slowly to the current multidrug therapy, and hence there is a need for novel drugs with potent bactericidal activity. PA-824 is a 4-nitroimidazo-oxazine that is currently undergoing phase I clinical trials for the treatment of tuberculosis. The activity of PA-824 against Mycobacterium leprae was tested and compared with that of rifampin in axenic cultures, macrophages, and two different animal models. Our results conclusively demonstrate that PA-824 has no effect on the viability of M. leprae in all three models, consistent with the lack of the nitroimidazo-oxazine-specific nitroreductase, encoded by Rv3547 in the M. leprae genome, which is essential for activation of this molecule.

Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy

DOI: 10.1128/aac.00488-06

Authors: Ujjini H. Manjunatha, Ramanuj Lahiri, Baljit Randhawa, Cynthia S. Dowd, James L. Krahenbuhl, Clifton E. Barry

Institutions: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Louisiana State University, National Hansen's Disease Program

Language: English

Topic: Leprosy Research and Treatment

Subfield: Infectious Diseases

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases