Innovative Cancer Drug Shows Promise in Enhancing Tuberculosis Treatment and Preventing Lung Disease

A groundbreaking study from Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that an experimental drug, currently in clinical trials for cancer, may significantly improve the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and reduce long-term lung damage. The research, conducted on mice models, indicates that adding navitoclax—a Bcl-2 inhibitor—to standard TB therapy could promote the controlled death of infected lung cells, thereby enhancing treatment efficacy and lowering the risk of post-TB lung disease.

The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that combining navitoclax with the conventional antibiotics rifampin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide (RHZ) reduced lung necrosis by 40% and decreased the likelihood of bacterial spread to other organs like the spleen over a four-week period. Advanced PET imaging revealed that this combination doubled apoptosis (the process of programmed cell death) in the lungs and cut lung scarring by 40%, compared to standard treatment alone.

TB remains a leading global killer, with over 1.25 million deaths and 10.8 million new cases reported in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. The challenge intensifies with the rise of drug-resistant TB strains. The bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, manipulates host cell pathways to favor necrosis—a destructive form of cell death that promotes tissue damage and bacterial proliferation—by encouraging infected cells to produce anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl-2.

Previous research hinted that inhibiting Bcl-2 could help control TB, but this approach was never tested alongside actual TB treatments. In this study, researchers treated TB-exposed mice with standard antibiotics, with some receiving navitoclax. While navitoclax alone showed no effect on the bacteria, its combination with antibiotics resulted in a 16-fold decrease in bacterial burden.

These promising findings suggest that host-directed therapies like navitoclax could potentially shorten TB treatment duration, reduce lung scarring, and prevent long-term respiratory issues. Future clinical trials, utilizing advanced imaging techniques developed at Johns Hopkins, are planned to evaluate the safety and effectiveness in humans. If successful, this approach could transform TB management, especially for drug-resistant cases, leading to faster recovery and better quality of life for patients.

Source: Medical Xpress