Glaucoma Treatment: Eye Medication Cures Tuberculosis?

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With the recent rise of medications being reused to treat different diseases aside from their specific targets, a new study from the Michigan State University has discovered a compound in glaucoma medications can be used to treat tuberculosis, even in its drug-resistant form.

The CDC defines tuberculosis as a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that can attack the lungs, kidney, spine and brain. It can be spread through inhalation brought about by coughing, sneezing and speaking.

Relia Wire reports that a sulfa-based compound called ethoxzolamide, which is usually found in glaucoma prescription drugs, may turn off the ability of a bacterium to invade the immune system.

Robert Abramovitch, a microbiologist from MSU who has led the study, said that when administered in mice with tuberculosis, the compound can stop the infection by preventing the bacteria to grow inside the while blood cells of the immune system. He added that ethoxzolamide can blindside the bacteria and attack it without being detected, which is very unusual for tuberculosis bacteria.

Science World Report writes that the study has tested 273,000 different compounds with the use of a synthetic biosensor. Previous studies have noted that tuberculosis bacteria has the ability to sense any changes in the pH levels of the body, making it prepare itself for any attack.

UPI adds that through the discovery of this compound, it can help enhance tuberculosis treatment. The antibiotics that are currently being used today takes too long to kill the bacteria, making it difficult for the patient to complete the entire treatment. Furthermore, it can help antibiotics prevent losing their efficiency by strengthening the body's immune system.

Abramovitch said the biggest reason why they have done the study is to look for an alternative treatment that will not require any long periods. By shortening the process, the resistant strains of the tuberculosis bacteria will be developed slowly, making them easier to defeat.

He added that with the discovery of how ethoxzolamide works, there will be no need to find new drugs to kill tuberculosis bacteria. All it takes is to look for medications that can interfere with the infection's ability to resist the immune system, eventually killing the infection in a more natural way.

The study has been published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy this year and has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Michigan State University and other charitable funds.