CMX410 is a novel compound that targets the polyketide synthase 13 (Pks13) enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Inhibition of Pks13 prevents synthesis of essential mycolic acids, blocking protective cell wall construction and leading to bacterial death. CMX410 demonstrated activity against drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains in infected mice and produced no adverse effects in a rat toxicity assessment. Tuberculosis commonly affects the lungs and can cause chronic cough with blood-tinged mucus, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Multiple institutions including Scripps Research, Texas A&M, Weill Cornell, Rutgers, Colorado State, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University contributed to the compound's development.
Central to the group's discoveries is the development of a new compound called CMX410. The drug uniquely targets a crucial enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis, according to a statement from Scripps. With the compound blocking the key enzyme polyketide synthase 13 (Pks13), M. tuberculosis is unable to build a protective cell wall. As a result, it is unable to survive long enough to sustain an infection.
Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs but also can affect other parts of the body. Typical symptoms include a chronic cough with mucus containing blood, plus fever, night sweats and weight loss. The study determined that CMX410 was effective against otherwise drug-resistant infections in mice. Also, there were no adverse effects observed in a rat toxicity study, the researchers said. With these results, scientists said, the discoveries surrounding TB treatment could help address other critical public health concerns.
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