Publications by authors named "Virginia L Leykam"
Pharmaceuticals (Basel)
November 2013
Article Synopsis
- The study examines how multiple drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis leads to an increased reliance on second-line drugs like ethionamide (ETA), which is activated by certain enzymes called flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs).
- A specific genetic variation in the FMO2 enzyme affects its activity, influencing how different individuals metabolize ETA; this variation is more common in certain populations, particularly among Africans and Hispanics.
- Results from experiments with mice show that those with normal FMO2 had higher levels of ETA metabolites, indicating better drug metabolism, while genetically modified mice lacking FMO2 produced higher levels of the unmetabolized drug, suggesting that FMO2 genotype could affect treatment outcomes for tuberculosis.
