Synthesized Protein Could Aid Tuberculosis Treatment

Researchers believe that "waking up" dormant TB bacteria in the body could make treatment of the disease quicker and more effective. In a new study, University College London (UCL) researchers analyzed the molecular structure of resuscitation promoting factor (RpF) within the TB bacterium; they believe that a synthesized version of that protein could activate dormant bacteria.

"The antibiotics we give to patients are effective in killing active TB bacteria but not ones that are lying dormant," said Dr. John Ward, of UCL's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. "People feel better quickly after starting their treatment course, which should last six months, and then they stop taking their medication," he said. "But four or five months later, the bacteria lying dormant in the body is activated."

"We need to unlock the secrets behind the RpF protein and mimic its effect in a molecule that we can give orally -- so that we can wake up all the bacteria -- in the same way that we give antibiotics," said Ward. "It's not the cure for TB but these dormant TB bacteria have been a problem."

"It's only when TB bacteria are reproducing and dividing that you have the chance to get the antibiotics through and kill them," said professor Peter Davies, a consultant at Liverpool's cardiothoracic center. "But that happens very infrequently, usually once every month or two months, which is why people have to take a six-month course of antibiotics -- to ensure all the bacteria in their bodies are killed," he said. "But if you could make the bacteria active, and therefore dividing, you may only need to give one or two months' worth of treatment, which would be better because of the problems in people finishing long courses of treatments," said Davies.

The full report, "The Structure of a Resuscitation-Promoting Factor Domain from Mycobacterium tuberculosis Shows Homology to Lysozymes," was published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (2005;12:270-273).

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