Scientists have identified a key enzyme responsible for destroying lung tissue in tuberculosis
Scientists have identified a key enzyme responsible for destroying lung tissue in tuberculosis (TB), they report today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation . Drugs that inhibit this enzyme are already available, meaning that the finding could lead quickly to new treatments. TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis . The infection destroys patients' lung tissue, causing them to cough up the bacteria, which then spread through the air and can be inhaled by others. The mechanism behind this lung damage is poorly understood, and no treatments currently used prevent it from occurring. Patients require at least six months of antibiotic treatment, but drug-resistant strains of the bacterium are becoming increasingly common. The new research shows that in patients with TB, there is an increase in levels of an enzyme called MMP-1 in their lungs.
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