Infectious Disease

Cell culture and macaque studies suggest inhibiting IDO could help treat tuberculosis (TB). In a co-culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macaque macrophages and M. tuberculosis-specific macaque CD4⁺ T cells, siRNA targeting IDO1 decreased bacterial burden in the macrophages compared with no treatment. In a macaque inhalation challenge model of TB, the IDO inhibitor administered one week post-challenge decreased bacterial counts in the lungs and bronchial lung nodes. Also in the macaque model, the IDO inhibitor decreased the number of lung granulomas and lung pathology and increased survival. Next steps could include evaluating IDO inhibitors as monotherapies for TB and in combination with other therapies...