An unexpected discovery can bring relief to millions of people suffering from multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) across the globe. A study by an American research team reports that vitamin C can kill the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis that causes MDR-TB.
The report published on Tuesday says, “Vitamin C, a compound known to drive the Fenton reaction, sterilizes cultures of drug-susceptible and drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis.”
Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, found that the vitamin C effectively kills drug-resistant TB bacteria under laboratory conditions. It also suggests that vitamin C can shorten the duration of drug therapy.
Domino effect
In a statement, the college mentioned that the discovery was made during research into how TB bacteria become resistant to isoniazid, a potent first-line TB drug. The research team observed that isoniazid-resistant TB bacteria were deficient in a molecule called mycothiol.
