Marine Plants Could Potentially Cure TB

Biologists from the  University of Central Florida in cooperation with Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute studied more than 4000 chemical extracts of marine organisms to see if these extracts could kill TB bacterium, cancer and other diseases.

Sea sponges and other marine organisms had shown at least 5 compounds that can successfully fight against tuberculosis.  

Full results of the study were published in June in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

"Once we've identified these compounds, we want to study them to understand how they work. That way if the compound turns out not to be a great drug for use in humans as is, at least we would have identified a new target for antibiotics. Alternatively, we could work with chemists to modify the drug to improve its clinical usefulness." - said Kyle Rohde, Assistant Professor in the University of Central Florida