Researchers made and tested several compounds similar to an HIV drug, called nelfinavir, which has been known to incidentally block a key enzyme other than the HIV protein. The enzyme it blocks is similar to an enzyme in Streptococcus pyogenes, the pathogen responsible for more than 600 million illnesses and 500,000 deaths worldwide every year.
By blocking S. pyogenes, the drug may also be able to stop the pathogen’s ability to produce a toxin called streptolysin S, or SLS.
With additional research, scientists may be able to understand exactly how the bacteria works and how drugs like nelfinavir may play a role in new therapies to kill the pathogen.
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