Scientists are describing a new type of tuberculosis (TB) treatment that involves manipulating the body's response to TB bacteria rather than targeting the bacteria themselves, a concept called host-directed therapy, reports [s]News-Medical[/s]. Although TB is curable, adherence to therapy is difficult as treatment requires taking antibiotic drugs for at least six months and sometimes up to two years. But scientists from the US [b]National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)[/b] found that host-directed immunotherapy using PGE2 and zileuton, a drug typically used to treat asthma, prevented death in TB-infected mice. This strategy could be of particular benefit to people infected with drug-resistant TB strains who have limited options for effective antibiotics.
[link url=http://www.news-medical.net/news/20140628/Host-directed-therapy-A-new-type-of-TB-treatment.aspx]Full News-Medical report[/link]
[link url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13489.html]Nature abstract[/link]