Researchers at the University of Cambridge, England, have found that over-the-counter drugs commonly used to treat heartburn, reflux and gastritis can shorten the time it takes to treat TB.
Scientists have tested many available over-the-counter drugs that block human cell membrane pumps and found that proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole, pantoprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, can not only speed up the process of treating tuberculosis, but also reduce the likelihood that bacteria, causing the disease will become resistant to antibiotics.
Heartburn.© unsplash.com
“The potential for repurposing cheap and readily available drugs to speed up the treatment of TB might have a huge impact on public health around the world, and we look forward to further research related to this discovery,” scientists say.
Because the study was conducted on cells, experts cannot yet recommend heartburn drugs as a proven treatment for TB. Further human trials are needed to see if these drugs are really effective in fighting the bacteria that cause TB.
ridus.ru previously talked regarding tuberculosis test before the first symptoms appear.
