Making tuberculosis more susceptible to antibiotics

Good news! This appears to have broad applicability to fighting illness causing bacteria! Perhaps a breakthrough!

"... MIT chemists have now discovered that changing the length of these [cell coating] carbohydrates can dramatically affect their function. In a study of mycobacteria, the type of bacteria that cause tuberculosis and other diseases, they found that shortening the length of a carbohydrate called galactan impairs some cell functions and makes the cells much more susceptible to certain antibiotics. The findings suggest that drugs that interfere with galactan synthesis could be used along with existing antibiotics to create more effective treatments...

This could be useful for treating not only tuberculosis but also other diseases caused by mycobacteria, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and leprosy. Other strains of mycobacteria (known as “flesh-eating bacteria”) cause a potentially deadly infection called necrotizing fasciitis. All of these mycobacteria have galactan in their cell walls, and there are no good vaccines against any of them. ..."

Making tuberculosis more susceptible to antibiotics | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Shortening carbohydrates in the bacterial cell wall makes them more vulnerable to certain drugs.