Targeting De Novo Purine Biosynthesis for Tuberculosis Treatment

Targeting de novo purine biosynthesis for tuberculosis treatment

Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death from an infectious disease1,2. Here we report the discovery of a first-in-class small-molecule inhibitor targeting PurF, the first enzyme in the mycobacterial de novo purine biosynthesis pathway. The lead candidate, JNJ-6640, exhibited nanomolar bactericidal activity in vitro. Comprehensive genetic and biochemical approaches confirmed that JNJ-6640 was highly selective for mycobacterial PurF. Singl…

Man Held by ICE Was Jailed in Alaska for Weeks. Now He's in the Hospital Battling Tuberculosis - Health Journal Online

A Peruvian man has been hospitalized for tuberculosis after being detained in a detention center run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a lawyer representing the man. The man was held at an Alaska jail alongside 40 other individuals after he was flown to Anchorage from a Tacoma regional immigration detention center. This transportation came from a deal between ICE and the state in an attempt to tackle overcrowding, a…