Edmond LaVoie, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, co-founder of TAXIS Pharmaceuticals, and co-author of the study on the new MRSA drug, TXA709, explains how TXA709 targets MRSA differently than other antibiotics.
Edmond LaVoie, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, co-founder of TAXIS Pharmaceuticals, and co-author of the study on the new MRSA drug, TXA709, explains how TXA709 targets MRSA differently than other antibiotics.
Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)
“It is completely unique. TXA709, in terms of its molecular target, is different than the standard of care has been for antibiotics. Primarily, the antibiotics in clinical use today act by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis, or they can act by inhibiting bacterial DNA synthesis. Perhaps more commonly, with many of the penicillins and cephalosporins, they may be acting as inhibitors of bacterial cell wall synthesis.
TXA709 is totally unique in this regard. It inhibits bacterial cell division, or bacterial cytokinesis. It does so by blocking a key protein that’s involved in the process known as FtsZ. That protein is responsible for initiating this process.”
