Novel treatment to fight TB
Menzies researchers working in Indonesia have uncovered a link between low levels of the gas nitric oxide in the lungs of tuberculosis (TB) patients and a reduced ability of the body to fight the deadly disease.
Dr Anna Ralph, the key investigator on the project says, “These findings pave the way for new nitric oxide-based treatments for TB and are a particularly welcome breakthrough considering the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains.”
“Working in partnership with Malaysian colleagues in Sabah, Malaysia’s hardest-hit TB hotspot, we will trial new treatments for TB patients, including an inhaled agent to boost lung nitric oxide,” Dr Ralph said.
Image: Measurement of nitric oxide in exhaled breath in a person with TB.