“UVU Chemistry Professor Develops New Molecules to Revolutionize Fight Against Tuberculosis”

Revolutionizing the Fight Against Tuberculosis

A significant breakthrough has been achieved in the fight against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Nathan Goldfarb, Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemistry at Utah Valley University (UVU), has recently filed a patent application and a continuation in part for two innovative molecules that could significantly impact this ongoing battle.

The Power of NS-049-2 and 0211-122

These aren’t just any molecules, mind you. Named NS-049-2 and 0211-122, these molecules target and inhibit the Mtb pathogen. Crafted with a sequence designed to bind to an Mtb enzyme, they come equipped with a “warhead” that chemically annihilates it.

Goldfarb isn’t going it alone, though. He’s teamed up with researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia and Johns Hopkins University in the United States to synthesize and test these new molecules.

Inhibiting Mtb Growth

The molecules, identified as NS-049-2 and 0211-122, are specifically designed to target and inhibit the Mtb pathogen. Engineered with sequences that bind effectively to an Mtb enzyme, these molecules are equipped with a chemically active ‘warhead’ that neutralizes the pathogen effectively.

A New Dual-Compound Drug

Goldfarb and his fellow researchers hope that this new dual-compound drug will lower the dosage and time required to treat the infection. This could mean fewer side effects, better patient compliance, and a reduction in antibiotic resistance. The current Mtb drug regimen requires patients to take medication daily for four months.

A Roadmap for the Future

This new medicine could serve as a roadmap for refining and optimizing Mtb inhibitors in the future. It could also lead to the creation of rapid, Mtb tests, similar to the quick COVID-19 tests. Currently, detecting Mtb requires sophisticated and expensive instrumentation, as well as trained personnel. A rapid and easy test for Mtb is urgently needed in the global fight against the disease, which affects one-third of the world’s population and has a staggering annual mortality rate of 1.6 million deaths.

Goldfarb’s Journey

Goldfarb’s journey to this point has been a long one. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biology from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and his master’s degree in molecular biology/biotechnology from East Carolina University, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Florida.

He then accepted a postdoctoral position studying Alzheimer’s disease at the global pharmaceutical company, Schering-Plough. The company soon hired him as a senior scientist to work on the evolution of novel enzymes used in drug synthesis. But his true passion was academics, so he returned to the University of Florida for a second postdoctoral position, where he published in the areas of HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis drug discovery. His first teaching appointment was at the California Health Sciences University in Clovis, California. After two years of teaching biochemistry, he moved to his current academic position at Utah Valley University.