‘NEW AND BETTER DRUGS FOR TUBERCULOSIS’
GOAL OF UH PROFESSOR
Kurt Krause to Present NIH-funded Research of Team at Symposium
HOUSTON, Aug. 13, 2004 – In Kurt Krause’s laboratory,
what starts off as a mere molecule may soon become a potential drug
to treat tuberculosis.
Krause, an associate professor of biology and biochemistry at the
University of Houston, has been invited to discuss this research
at The Protein Society’s 18th Annual Symposium – “Protein
Structure, Function and Disease” – Aug. 14-18, in San
Diego, Calif.
“Alanine racemase is a protein from tuberculosis that is
a target for drug design,” Krause said. “We are trying
to make a small molecule that will specifically inhibit this enzyme.
A molecule of this type would be a potential antibiotic to treat
TB.”
Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, this research is the result
of a collaborative research project that includes Krause and three
others. Also from the University of Houston is James Briggs, assistant
professor of biology and biochemistry at UH, with former UH professors
Mike Benedik, now of Texas A&M University, and Hal Kohn, now
of the University of North Carolina.
As part of session nine, “Biochemistry and Structural Biology
for Understanding and Combating Tuberculosis,” Krause’s
talk – ”Alanine Racemase As a Template for TB Drug Design”
– will begin at 11:55 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 17, in the Marina
Ballroom FG at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina, with the
floor opening at 12:20 p.m. for group discussion.
“Ultimately, our team’s goal is to develop new and
better drugs for TB,” Krause said. “I’m honored
to be representing our work at this symposium as a result of the
recommendations of fellow researchers in the scientific community
who have knowledge of our research.”
The Protein Society symposium will take the traditional focus on
protein structure and function in new directions. A significant
portion of the talks at this year’s event will provide a protein
science perspective on several major infectious diseases and cutting-edge
approaches toward the development of potential treatments.
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