Researchers identify faster, more effective drug combination regimens to treat tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a potentially deadly though curable disease. Each year about 10 million people develop active cases, and 1.6 million people die. In addition, about 1.7 billion people around the world are infected with TB bacteria, which can lie dormant for weeks to years, then become active and cause disease in up to 10 percent of those who are infected.Today, people who contract tuberculosis typically take a course of drugs for six to eight months. However, the length of treatment means some patients don ’t stick with the therapy or may develop adverse effects from drug toxicity. Some may develop resistance to the drugs, requiring changes in the drug regimen that can lengthen the treatment to as long as two years. Even worse, there is a high fatality rate among those with drug-resistant TB.In new research, UCLA scientists have reported finding a way to significantly reduce the duration of treatment by using an approach called “artificial intelligence-parabolic response surface.” This data analysis method identifies which drug combinations work synergistically — that is, individual drugs working together in a way that is more potent than the sum of their individual potencies. The method, when used in cell culture a nd subsequently mouse models of TB, allowed researchers to quickly identify three- or four-drug combinations among billions of possible combinations of drugs and doses, that significantly cut the duration of TB therapy.These regimens are suitable for treat...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news