A recent study published in Microbiology Spectrum highlights BPD-9, a novel semi-synthetic compound that shows efficacy against drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, including non-replicating and intracellular bacteria.

The research suggests that BPD-9 may also be effective against non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung infections that are resistant to many antibiotics.

This groundbreaking research was a collaborative effort involving teams from The University of British Columbia, the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, and McGill University, supported by Canadian health research grants.

Researchers focused on discovering new antibiotics by exploring natural compounds from plants, fungi, and bacteria, leading to the identification of sanguinarine as a potential source.

Through medicinal chemistry, the researchers redesigned sanguinarine into a more potent and less toxic antibacterial compound named BPD-9.

BPD-9 offers a promising chemical scaffold for the development of new anti-tuberculosis drugs.

The compound has demonstrated effectiveness against dormant and intracellular M. tuberculosis, addressing significant limitations of current anti-TB treatments.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains the leading cause of bacterial disease-related deaths worldwide, with existing treatments often outdated and prone to developing drug resistance.

Study author Jim Sun, Ph.D., emphasized BPD-9's unique properties and its potential for clinical application in treating both tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections.

Notably, BPD-9 specifically targets pathogenic bacteria from the Mycobacterium genus, which may help preserve beneficial bacteria in the microbiome.

In contrast, sanguinarine, a natural compound with antimicrobial properties derived from a North American flowering plant, has been traditionally used in veterinary medicine but is too toxic for human use.