Tuberculosis (TB) remains a relentless global threat as the world’s top infection killer. The urgent need for innovative strategies to combat drug resistance and develop effective treatments persists, as the World Health Organization reports a staggering 30,000 new TB infections and nearly 4,500 deaths worldwide each day. Two promising strategies focus on inhibiting coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis and targeting essential bacterial pathways.
Join Tanya Parish of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Seattle Children’s Research Institute as she discusses strategies for discovering new TB drugs. Discover how microbiology, high-throughput screening, and medicinal chemistry converge to identify essential pathways and combat drug resistance. Then, hear from Cynthia Dowd of George Washington University as she explores novel CoA biosynthesis inhibitors, specifically targeting phosphopantothenoylcysteine synthetase (PPCS), a key enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Learn how these inhibitors could shape future TB treatments by disrupting vital metabolic processes.
Register now to stay at the forefront of drug discovery and gain critical insights into cutting-edge TB research and the fight against drug-resistant strains. This ACS Webinar is moderated by Sandhya Ganesan of IISER Thiruvananthapuram in India and is co-produced by ACS Publications.
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Presenter Slide Deck
Follow along, take notes, and review important details with this PDF handout of the slides.
"LabNotes" Webinar Summary
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What You Will Learn
- How Mycobacterium tuberculosis synthesizes CoA and why it’s a promising drug target
- The rationale behind designing novel PPCS inhibitors and their impact on TB treatment
- How essential bacterial pathways are identified and targeted for drug discovery
- Why Mycobacterium tuberculosis develops resistance and how to overcome this challenge
Additional Resources
- ACS Publications Special Collection for World Tuberculosis Day - Contributions from 26 ACS journals which highlight new insights and the latest advancements on detection, prevention and treatment of this deadly disease.
- ACS Infectious Diseases Call for Papers for a Special Issue on “Infectious Diseases Research in the Global South: Treatments and Treatment Failures.” Submissions are welcome for this Special Issue through June 15, 2025.
- Tiny Matters Podcast "The deadliest (curable) infectious disease on Earth, featuring John Green" - In this episode, Sam and Deboki cover the science and history of this devastating yet treatable disease, the recent public pressure on companies that is leading to increased treatment and testing access, and clinical trials that make John and Uzma hopeful that one day this humanity-plaguing disease could be gone.
Co-Produced With
What an attendee said about this ACS Webinar!
Personally, this webinar has enhanced my understanding of tuberculosis research and drug discovery. As someone deeply interested in biomedical sciences, the session has motivated me to explore metabolic-targeted therapies as a potential research avenue. It also highlighted the importance of thinking beyond conventional approaches and seeking innovative solutions to persistent health challenges.
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