Publication: The Parkinson’s drug benztropine possesses histamine receptor 1-dependent host-directed antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Summary: The authors used high-content screening to test a library of drugs for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. They discovered that benztropine, a drug approved to treat Parkinson’s disease, significantly reduced bacterial loads in macrophage immune cells in vitro and in the lungs in an in vivo mouse model. They found that benztropine binds to a macrophage receptor that Mtb typically exploits, reactivating the immune cells’ ability to kill the bacterium. This study reveals the potential of host-directed therapeutics and repurposing approved drugs to treat tuberculosis and combat antimicrobial resistance.