Susceptibility Target for TB Therapy
JHU REF: C10895
Invention novelty: This invention has identified a new target and a new way to kill the Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogen.
Value Proposition: Currently the mechanism by which M. tuberculosis maintains 3-3 cross-linkages in the peptidoglycan layer is not fully understood. Inventors at JHU and Universite Pierre et Marie Curie discovered an enzyme, L,D-transpeptidase, that makes these linkages and is required for virulence and resistance of M. tuberculosis to amoxicillin. An inhibitor against this enzyme will selectively target the mechanism employed for generation of 3-3 linkages and thereby enable existing drugs to work against persistent tuberculosis.
Technical Details:
Multi-drug resistant TB, an airborne infectious disease that is difficult to treat with existing drugs, has been declared as a major global health crisis by the World Health Organization. Rise of multi-drug resistant TB puts in jeopardy the recent gains that have been made in TB control and the prevention of TB related deaths. Inventors at JHU and Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, have discovered a particular enzyme that is required for TB virulence and resistance to the commonly used drug, amoxicillin. This enzyme represents a new drug target and inhibition of this enzyme is a new weapon in the battle against drug resistant TB. Emerging data shows that this novel class of enzymes are also present in other bacterial pathogens important to human health.
Looking for Partners: To develop and commercialize antibiotics to treat bacterial infection.
Stage of Development: Discovery
Data Availability: Under CDA/NDA
Patent Status: Pending
Publication(s)/Associated Cases: US 20140342364 A1; PMID: 20305661
Categories: Therapeutic, Antibiotic
Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, L,D-transpeptidase, amoxicillin, inhibitor, enzyme, TB
