Novel proteasome inhibitors as potential drugs to combat tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the most notorious killers worldwide. These pathogens have evolved to infect human beings in a so-called dormant form that is extremely difficult to treat. New work, however, suggests that mycobacterial proteasomes, multicomponent structures that protect the microbe from damaging effects of nitric oxide generated by the host, can be selectively and specifically blocked by small molecules.