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Browse Innovations
Here, we focus on developing drugs that induce a conformational change in the InhA enzyme by utilizing slow-onset inhibitors through Artificial Intelligence-driven approaches
This innovation introduces a novel enzyme-based approach to address the global challenge of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). The solution encompasses both therapeutic and diagnostic applications, leveraging a unique enzyme formulation that directly targets the robust mycolic acid-containing cell wall of Mtb. By destabilizing this critical barrier, the enzyme facilitates both enhanced drug delivery for treatment and simplified sample preparation for diagnostics, offering a potential breakthrough in combating multi-drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB strains.
The enzyme-based therapy focuses on the direct degradation of the Mtb cell wall, specifically targeting the mycolic acid-containing outer membrane. This membrane, a hallmark of Mycobacterium species, provides a formidable barrier that contributes to the bacterium’s resistance to conventional antibiotics. The enzyme destabilizes this structure by enzymatically removing outer membrane-embedded porins, which are essential for nutrient uptake and bacterial survival. This disruption compromises the integrity of the cell wall, leading to bacterial lysis or increased susceptibility to other drugs.
When used in combination with existing TB drugs, the enzyme enhances drug diffusion into the bacterial cell by weakening the cell wall, allowing approved antibiotics to more effectively target intracellular components. This synergistic approach not only restricts bacterial proliferation but also limits further infection, offering a promising strategy to control drug-resistant TB.
The enzyme-based therapy stands out from existing TB treatments in several critical ways:
The therapeutic development plan includes:
Current TB diagnostics, particularly sputum-based molecular tests, face significant barriers, including the inability of some patients to produce sputum and the reliance on equipment-intensive mechanical lysis methods. These limitations restrict access to diagnostics in resource-limited settings. The enzyme-based approach offers a transformative solution by enabling sputum-free diagnostics through the use of tongue swabs and simplifying sample preparation.
The enzyme disrupts the Mtb cell wall to release intracellular components, such as DNA, for diagnostic detection. This eliminates the need for complex mechanical lysis, reducing assay complexity and cost. The enzyme’s ability to destabilize the mycolic acid membrane ensures efficient sample preparation, making it compatible with molecular diagnostic techniques like PCR.
The diagnostic development plan includes:
The enzyme has been successfully tested on Mycobacterium smegmatis, a non-pathogenic model organism for Mtb, demonstrating effective cell wall disruption via spot diffusion assays. Additionally, specificity tests on E. coli strains (including K12 and expression strains) and human cell lines (A549, HEK, and CHO) showed no toxicity, indicating a favorable safety profile for both therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
The innovation targets two critical markets:
This enzyme-based innovation represents a dual-purpose breakthrough in TB management, addressing both treatment and diagnostic challenges posed by drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. By directly targeting the mycolic acid cell wall, the enzyme offers a novel mechanism to overcome resistance, enhance drug efficacy, and simplify diagnostics. With promising preliminary results and a clear development roadmap, this solution has the potential to transform TB care, particularly for vulnerable populations and in resource-limited settings.
TB is an infectious airborne disease, whose main etiologic agent is MTb. Although TB is present in every country in the world, this disease mainly affects low-income and vulnerable populations. TB is among the 10 leading causes of death in the world, and the first as an infectious agent in HIV Positive patients. In 2019, TB was responsible for over 1 million deaths. WHO estimates that one-fourth of the world's population is infected with MTb.
Presently existing LAM urine test (Alere, Abbott, USA) has higher sensitivity & specificity, mainly in HIV co-infected TB patients, while its sensitivity and specificity are very less in active TB patients 17-40% average 26 percentage. We propose an improved version of a visual, qualitative, rapid, and affordable test (LAM-Based TB test) for mass screening of TB in urine. Tests are rapid, and results can be interpreted in 10 minutes. The proposed tests are suitable for doctors’ clinics and resource-constrained areas, and no refrigeration is required during storage and transportation. Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is a potential marker of active tuberculosis (TB). The test is based on the detection of mycobacterial lipoarabinomannan (LAM) antigen in body fluids (blood and sputum etc) that can be used as a potential point of care test for tuberculosis (TB). LAM antigen is a lipopolysaccharide present in mycobacterial cell walls, which is released from metabolically active or degenerating bacterial cells and appears to be present only in people with active TB disease.
Urine-based testing would have advantages over sputum-based testing because urine is easy to collect and store, and lacks the infection control risks associated with sputum collection. This rapid Test is a membrane-based test for the rapid detection of cell wall antigen in urine. Our proposed TB test (detection of antigen in Urine) is rapid (20-25 minutes compared to 8 to 12 weeks for routine culture), low cost and affordable (compared to USD20 for Gene Xpert), do not require equipment, they are point of care easy to use tests and only small amount of sample is needed for the test. The tests can be performed in rural and resource settings where pathology labs or TB labs are not available.
We have completed clinical validation of Rapid Tests in urine samples of TB and HIV co-infected TB patients at one site (Fiocruz, Recife, Brazil) under the BRICS Project. As a result, we found higher accuracy than Alere LAM (Abbott) and FujiLAM (Japan) TB tests. Further, investigations and validation studies are going on in Fiocruz, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to increase its accuracy and make it suitable for mass screening of TB in adult as well as pediatric TB populations in rural and resource-constrained areas of India, China, Brazil, and South Africa (High Burden Countries).
This system combines five essential respiratory care and diagnostic functions into a modular, compact, and interchangeable platform, enabling clinicians (especially suited for primary care and high-burden settings) to rapidly adapt to diverse patient needs with minimal equipment changeover. A multifunctional, high-flow, oxygen-compatible aerosol control device designed for integrated respiratory support and efficient sputum collection to be deployed at a health facility.
truGnom is a next-generation, formalin- and alcohol-free genetic material preservation solution developed by Ruhvenile for any biological sample collection, transportation, and preservation for molecular analysis (PCR, RT-PCR, NGS, WGS, OMICs)
Key Features
Applications
Target Users:
Advantages Over Traditional Media
truGnom | Traditional Media |
Room temperature transport (48 hrs) | Requires cold chain |
No additional lysis steps | Multiple processing steps |
2.5-3X higher yields | Standard yields |
Formalin & alcohol-free | May contain hazardous chemicals |
Color indicator for integrity | No visual quality check |
Available Formats
250 mL | 500 mL | 1.0 L | Bulk quantities
Current users: Clinical sample Users: PGIMER, Chandigarh | AIIMS, Delhi | SKIMS, Srinagar | AIIMS, Bhopal | KEM Mumbai | MNC Chennai | IPGMER Kolkata | SGPGI Lucknow | SMS Jaipur | RIMS Manipur | Medical college, Thiruvananthapuram | NCL Pune & more Institutes…
As a part of continuous innovation Fujifilm is pleased to introduce its state-of-the-art portable digital radiography solution FDR Xair. In combination with High sensitivity detector it ensures high image quality, low patient dose & ensures accurate diagnosis. FDR Xair supports vender neutral AI applications. FDR Xair is ideally suitable for radiology applications. This product meets all regulatory & quality norms which includes WHO guideline, AERB, CE, FDA etc. On top of this Fujifilm has the widest Global experience of handling TB Screening programs including India. In India we are proud to be a partner with NTEP initiative. In India we have participated in many TB screening programs & our screening model has been well appreciated & recommended at various level. Xair is handheld portable Xray approx. weight 3.5kg. Unique design like camera. Exclusive ISS Technology in the Detector to get high DQE & MTF with low Xray dose to patient. Own software with Dynamic Visualization II & Virtual grid further reduces the Xray dose and provide excellent Diagnostics Image quality.
M10 MTB NTM is a cartridge based POC system for the differential detection MTB and NTM
This study investigates methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (M-beta-CD) microparticles as a novel trans-nasal drug delivery platform for CNS-TB therapy. M-beta-CD enhances mucosal permeability and drug absorption by forming inclusion complexes with ATDs. We developed ATD-loaded M-beta-CD microparticles via spray drying technology and evaluated their physicochemical properties, in-vitro transport, and in-vivo therapeutic efficacy. The results demonstrated significantly improved CNS drug bioavailability, reduced neuroinflammation, and enhanced bacterial clearance in a murine CNS-TB model.Novelty and Advantages: The ATD-MP formulation enables efficient drug delivery to the brain while reducing systemic side effects. The optimized 5-6 micron microparticles ensure efficient nasal deposition (more than 80 percent emitted dose), biphasic drug release, and sustained therapeutic action.
To contribute towards the national goal of TB Free India through technological intervention, Jubilant Bhartia Foundation has developed a TB monitoring software system. The technology is developed in partnership with Indev Consultancy a software company.
The system allows
