Iron nanoparticle eliminates tuberculosis in mice and may pave the way for new treatments

Research from São Paulo State University shows that an inexpensive, easy-to-produce substance eliminated lung infection in 30 days. The compound has the potential to reduce the time and toxicity of current therapies

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

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An iron-based compound encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles completely eliminated tuberculosis in the lungs of mice after 30 days of treatment, according to a study by the Tuberculosis Research Laboratory at the Araraquara School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of São Paulo State University (FCFAr-UNESP) in Brazil. The study was supported by FAPESP and published in the journal ACS Omega. The results suggest a possible new path for shorter, less toxic, and more effective therapies against resistant bacteria, one of the greatest challenges currently facing the fight against the disease.

Although tuberculosis has been known for centuries and is curable, it is still the deadliest bacterial infection in the world. Standard treatment requires at least six months of daily use of at least four antibiotics, and it can take up to two years when there is resistance to the traditional regimen. This makes adherence difficult, contributing to treatment abandonment and failure.

“The disease is curable, but the treatment is long and intense. Patients take several antibiotics every day, which can cause side effects and affect the kidneys and liver,” explains Fernando Rogério Pavan, study advisor and coordinator of the Tuberculosis Drug Research area at Rede-TB.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that without treatment, tuberculosis can be fatal in up to 50% of cases. Conversely, when the treatment regimen is followed correctly, around 85% of patients are cured. However, the epidemiological scenario in Brazil underscores the need for new drugs to combat the disease. The Ministry of Health recorded 84,308 new cases of tuberculosis in 2024 and 6,025 deaths in 2023, marking the highest numbers in over two decades. These are the most recent data, released in 2025.

Despite free treatment being available through the SUS (the acronym for Brazil’s national public health network, Sistema Único de Saúde), the researcher explains that proper adherence is especially challenging in vulnerable populations, such as homeless people and those with alcohol dependence. “There are patients who stop taking antibiotics in the middle of the cycle, which leads to bacterial resistance. As a result, many patients end up with no therapeutic options, as the bacteria are resistant to everything available. And that person can transmit this resistant strain to another, creating an even more dangerous cycle,” Pavan points out.

Study idea

For about 20 years, the group led by Pavan has been studying the possible actions of molecules against tuberculosis. This time, in the doctoral research of Fernanda Manaia Demarqui, the idea was to focus on the substance ferroin (scientific name: [Fe(phen)₃]²⁺, or FEP), a very old compound that has been around since the 1950s and is traditionally used in chemical synthesis.

The proposal stemmed from drug repositioning – testing known substances for new therapeutic uses. “We didn’t invent a new molecule. We took an old, inexpensive, water-soluble substance and tested it for tuberculosis. When we saw antimicrobial activity, we thought, ‘This could become a thesis,’” says the researcher.

Laboratory tests showed that FEP strongly inhibits the tuberculosis bacillus and enhances the action of rifampicin and pretomanid, two drugs used to treat the disease. Additionally, the group discovered the mechanism by which the substance acts.

According to Pavan, microscopy and genomic sequencing revealed significant damage to the cell wall of the bacteria, indicating a mechanism of action similar to penicillins. “We discovered that it acts by inhibiting cell wall synthesis. Microscopy shows that the morphology of the bacteria is completely altered, and mutations in its genome correspond to cell wall proteins,” Pavan explains.

Since FEP is an “unstable” substance that could degrade in the stomach, the researchers encapsulated it in lipid nanoparticles (LNP@FEP), which act as a controlled-release “package.” This improved its stability and duration of action in the body. “This capsule protects the substance and allows for gradual release, keeping the compound active for longer. It’s a simple formulation made with cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine that’s inexpensive and easy to produce,” says the researcher.

The next step was to test the compound on animals. The animals were divided into groups of seven mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Half of the mice were treated conventionally, and the other half received the compound. After 30 days, complete elimination of the lung infection was observed with both free and encapsulated FEP. This surpassed the performance of isoniazid, one of the standard antibiotics used in the SUS.

“The result surprised us very positively because we were hoping to see some reduction in the bacterial load. But the tests showed that the compound eliminated everything. We found no bacilli in the lungs. In the group treated with the conventional antibiotic, there was a reduction in the bacilli load, as expected,” he reports.

Despite the encouraging results, it is not yet possible to discuss clinical applications. Toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies must be conducted, as well as more robust trials, including models of resistant tuberculosis and cases of chronic infection. However, Pavan points out that the fact that the compound is not patented may facilitate future progress toward industrial development. “This may be of particular interest to the public sector. If it works, it’ll be possible to transform the substance into a drug at low cost.”

If new studies confirm the efficacy and safety of the compound in humans, Pavan expects it to pave the way for shorter, safer treatments with greater patient adherence, which would reduce the risk of resistance and the impact of the disease in the country. “We already know the main thing: it works. Now, we need to adjust the dosage and duration of use, conduct repeat tests, and move forward. But seeing total elimination in animal models gives us hope,” he concludes.

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.

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Journal

ACS Omega

DOI

10.1021/acsomega.5c08350 

Article Title

[Fe(phen)3]2+ and [Fe(phen)3]2+-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid System: In Silico, In Vitro, and In Vivo Efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

 

World-first competency blueprint for healthcare investigators

University of Reading

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A first-of-its-kind framework has mapped the skills and qualities healthcare safety investigators need to help organisations prevent repeated harm to patients, offering a way forward from the old-style blame and retrain approach that has dominated incident investigations for decades. 

Published this week in Safety Science, the framework identifies 38 competencies that separate effective investigators from those who focuses only on finding fault. The research reveals a fundamental shift in what investigators need: 

• Technical expertise in investigation methods 

• Personal qualities such as empathy, independence and rigour 

• The ability to involve patients and families meaningfully throughout an investigation 

• Understanding how complex healthcare systems actually work in practice, not just how they are supposed to work on paper 

• The ability to identify the aspects that contribute to unsafe healthcare such as workload pressures, poorly designed processes or incompatible technology 

• The ability to identify areas for system improvement 

Globally, almost three million people die each year due to unsafe healthcare. In England alone, the economic cost of unsafe care is estimated at £14.7 billion annually. Without skilled investigators capable of uncovering the range of factors that contribute to unsafe healthcare, the same incidents will continue to repeat and patients will remain at risk. 

Dr Rosemary Lim, lead author of the study, said: The 'blame and retrain' approach for frontline workers involved in healthcare incidents is old news. Yet investigations have continued to focus on individual fault because, until now, there has been no agreed set of competencies anywhere in the world defining what skilled investigators should actually do instead. 

"Inconsistent investigations often miss the scope of contributory factors when healthcare goes wrong, such as impossible workloads, poorly designed systems, or incompatible technology, and instead default to blaming individuals or recommending superficial fixes like retraining staff. 

"Our study makes clear that investigators need more than technical expertise to ensure patient safety. The right combination of skills, knowledge and personal qualities is essential if we are to prevent the same harm happening to patients, families and staff again and again." 

The research involved 28 experts, including practising investigators, educators and policymakers, who took part in a rigorous two-round consultation process to reach consensus on what defines competent investigation practice. The University of Reading co-led the research with the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB). 

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Journal

Safety Science

DOI

10.1016/j.ssci.2026.107161 

Article Title

Development of a competency framework for healthcare safety investigators: A modified e-Delphi study

Article Publication Date

22-Feb-2026

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

New system tracks blockchain money laundering faster and more accurately

New system provides a next-generation anti-money laundering framework for blockchain systems, with automatic adaptation to new criminal tactics

University of Birmingham

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video: 

The system, called SynapTrack, provides a next-generation anti-money laundering framework for blockchain systems, with automatic adaptation to new criminal tactics. It enables faster and more accurate detection of fraudulent activity, using a self-improving algorithm that continuously adapts to new tactics to dynamically identify suspicious patterns in blockchain transactions. Dr Pascal Berrang and PhD student Endong Liu co-developed SynapTrack in collaboration with blockchain developer Nimiq. Dr Berrang explains the vulnerability of blockchain systems, and why advanced fraud detection is needed. The team behind SynapTrack is keen to hear from exchanges, financial regulators or law enforcement agencies who want to test the prototype in real-world conditions. For more information sign up at https://synaptrack.co.uk

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Credit: University of Birmingham Enterprise

An advanced detection system to identify and trace blockchain funds connected with criminal activity has been presented today at the Annual CyberASAP Demo Day in London. 

The system, called SynapTrack, enables faster and more accurate detection of fraudulent activity using blockchains and cryptocurrencies, where traditional anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing systems struggle to keep pace. 

Although current fraud detection methods pick up unusual activity, they deliver an extremely high rate (40%) of false positive reports. These require manual checking by compliance professionals, resulting in backlogs in identifying and acting on suspicious activity. 

The SynapTrack system is designed to deliver a substantially lower rate of false positives. It has already been tested using real-life data from the notorious 2025 Bybit hack, where criminals stole $1.5bn of digital tokens from a cryptocurrency exchange.  SynapTrack traced the hacker with 98% accuracy. 

The team behind SynapTrack is keen to hear from exchanges, financial regulators or law enforcement agencies who want to test the prototype in real-world conditions. 

SynapTrack uses a validated methodology to score the likelihood of transactions being part of a money laundering scheme.  It has a self-improving algorithm that continuously adapts to new tactics - dynamically identifying suspicious patterns in blockchain transactions.  It has a universal cross-chain capability, and is designed around how compliance teams work, presenting results in a dashboard.  No infrastructure changes are needed for installation.  

It is relatively easy to obscure fraudulent or criminal activity by moving funds between blockchains, or dispersing them across many blockchains, in what are known as ‘cross-chain’ transactions.  It is these transactions that pose the greatest difficulty for existing anti-money laundering systems.  

SynapTrack was developed by University of Birmingham computer scientists Dr Pascal Berrang and PhD student Endong Liu, in collaboration with blockchain developer Nimiq.  Dr Berrang’s research is in IT security and privacy on blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning.  The subject of Endong Liu’s PhD is transaction tracing.  Nimiq is supporting with blockchain-specific insights, knowledge of real-world constraints, and implementation.   

The team is currently fundraising to ensure regulatory readiness and complete the team with a CEO and software developers. 

Dr Berrang said: “The last few years have seen a near-exponential growth in blockchain transactions.  While many of these are legitimate, blockchains are attractive to criminals as funds can be moved very quickly to other jurisdictions.  Our work with Nimiq and the creation of SynapTrack is addressing this black spot, and will enable more effective regulation, making the whole ecosystem of blockchain safer and more trustworthy.”

 SPACE/COSMOS

Largest image of its kind shows hidden chemistry at the heart of the Milky Way

ESO

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image: 

This image shows the complex distribution of molecular gas in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way. It was obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner. This map is as long as three full Moons side-by-side in the sky, and it is in fact the largest ALMA image ever obtained.

This map is part of ACES — the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey — a project designed to understand how gas condenses into stars in the extreme and chaotic environment at the heart of our galaxy. The survey has charted the distribution of dozens of different molecules, five of which are shown here in different colours: sulphur monoxide (cyan), silicon monoxide (green), isocyanic acid (red), cyanoacetylene (blue), and carbon monosulphide (magenta).

The stars in the foreground of this image were observed at infrared wavelengths (Y, Z and J filters) with ESO’s VISTA telescope as part of a different project. The actual density of stars in the CMZ is much higher than what is shown here, where we have opted to highlight the details in the molecular cloud. Note that the edges of the ALMA map appear somewhat sharp because the ALMA observations do not cover the entire rectangular area here.

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Credit: ALMA(ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/S. Longmore et al. Background: ESO/D. Minniti et al.

Astronomers have captured the central region of our Milky Way in a striking new image, unveiling a complex network of filaments of cosmic gas in unprecedented detail. Obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), this rich dataset — the largest ALMA image to date — will allow astronomers to probe the lives of stars in the most extreme region of our galaxy, next to the supermassive black hole at its centre.

“It’s a place of extremes, invisible to our eyes, but now revealed in extraordinary detail,” says Ashley Barnes, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Germany who is part of the team that obtained the new data. The observations provide a unique view of the cold gas — the raw material from which stars form — within the so-called Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of our galaxy. It is the first time the cold gas across this whole region has been explored in such detail.

The region featured in the new image spans more than 650 light-years. It harbours dense clouds of gas and dust, surrounding the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. “It is the only galactic nucleus close enough to Earth for us to study in such fine detail,” says Barnes. The dataset reveals the CMZ like never before, from gas structures dozens of light-years across all the way down to small gas clouds around individual stars.

The gas that ACES — the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey — specifically explores is cold molecular gas. The survey unpacks the intricate chemistry of the CMZ, detecting dozens of different molecules, from simple ones such as silicon monoxide to more complex organic ones like methanol, acetone or ethanol.

Cold molecular gas flows along filaments feeding into clumps of matter out of which stars can grow. In the outskirts of the Milky Way we know how this process happens, but within the central region the events are much more extreme. “The CMZ hosts some of the most massive stars known in our galaxy, many of which live fast and die young, ending their lives in powerful supernova explosions, and even hypernovae,” says ACES leader Steve Longmore, a professor of astrophysics at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. With ACES, astronomers hope to better understand how these phenomena influence the birth of stars and whether our theories of star formation hold in extreme environments.

“By studying how stars are born in the CMZ, we can also gain a clearer picture of how galaxies grew and evolved,” Longmore adds. “We believe the region shares many features with galaxies in the early Universe, where stars were forming in chaotic, extreme environments.”

To collect this new dataset, astronomers used ALMA, which is operated by ESO and partners in Chile’s Atacama Desert. In fact, this is the first time such a large area has been scanned with this facility, making this the largest ALMA image ever. Seen in the sky, the mosaic — obtained by stitching together many individual observations like putting puzzle pieces together — is as long as three full Moons side-by-side.

“We anticipated a high level of detail when designing the survey, but we were genuinely surprised by the complexity and richness revealed in the final mosaic," says Katharina Immer, an ALMA astronomer at ESO who is also part of the project. The data from ACES are presented in five papers accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, with a sixth in the final review stages.

“The upcoming ALMA Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade, along with ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, will soon allow us to push even deeper into this region — resolving finer structures, tracing more complex chemistry, and exploring the interplay between stars, gas and black holes with unprecedented clarity,” says Barnes. “In many ways, this is just the beginning.”

More information

This research was presented in a series of papers presenting the ACES data, to appear in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society:

• Paper I - ALMA Central molecular zone Exploration Survey (ACES) I: Overview paper
• Paper II - ALMA Central molecular zone Exploration Survey (ACES) II: Continuum imaging
• Paper III - ALMA Central molecular zone Exploration Survey (ACES) III: Molecular line data reduction and HNCO & HCO+ data
• Paper IV - ALMA Central molecular zone Exploration Survey (ACES) IV: Data of the two intermediate-width spectral windows
• Paper V - ALMA Central molecular zone Exploration Survey (ACES) V: CS(2-1), SO 2_3-1_2, CH3CHO 5_(1,4)-4_(1,3), HC3N(11-10) and H40A lines data
• Paper VI - ALMA Central molecular zone Exploration Survey (ACES) VI: ALMA Large Program Reveals a Highly Filamentary Central Molecular Zone (undergoing minor revision)

The data itself will be available from the ALMA Science Portal at https://almascience.org/alma-data/lp/aces. 

The international ACES team is composed of over 160 scientists ranging from Master’s students to retirees, working at more than 70 institutions across Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Australia. The project was instigated and led by Principal Investigator Steven Longmore (Liverpool John Moores University, UK), together with co-PIs Ashley Barnes (European Southern Observatory, Germany), Cara Battersby (University of Connecticut, USA [Connecticut]), John Bally (University of Colorado Boulder, USA), Laura Colzi (Centro de Astrobiología, Madrid, Spain [CdA]), Adam Ginsburg (University of Florida, USA [Florida]), Jonathan Henshaw (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany), Paul Ho (Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taiwan), Izaskun Jiménez-Serra (CdA), J. M. Diederik Kruijssen (COOL Research DAO), Elisabeth Mills (University of Kansas, USA), Maya Petkova (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden), Mattia Sormani (Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia (DiSAT), University of Insubria, Italy), Robin Tress (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland & Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Universität Heidelberg, Germany), Daniel Walker (UK ALMA Regional Centre Node, University of Manchester, UK), and Jennifer Wallace (Connecticut).

Within ACES, the ALMA data reduction working group is coordinated by Adam Ginsburg, Daniel Walker, and Ashley Barnes, and includes Nazar Budaiev (Florida), Laura Colzi (CdA), Savannah Gramze (Florida), Pei-Ying Hsieh (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan), Desmond Jeff (Florida), Xing Lu (Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China), Jaime Pineda (Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Germany), Marc Pound (University of Maryland, USA), and Álvaro Sánchez-Monge (Institut de Ciències de l’Espai, CSIC, Bellaterra, Spain; Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Castelldefels, Spain), together with more than 30 additional team members who contributed to the data reduction effort.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of ESO, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) in Taiwan and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA. 

The European Southern Observatory (ESO) enables scientists worldwide to discover the secrets of the Universe for the benefit of all. We design, build and operate world-class observatories on the ground — which astronomers use to tackle exciting questions and spread the fascination of astronomy — and promote international collaboration for astronomy. Established as an intergovernmental organisation in 1962, today ESO is supported by 16 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), along with the host state of Chile and with Australia as a Strategic Partner. ESO’s headquarters and its visitor centre and planetarium, the ESO Supernova, are located close to Munich in Germany, while the Chilean Atacama Desert, a marvellous place with unique conditions to observe the sky, hosts our telescopes. ESO operates three observing sites: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope and its Very Large Telescope Interferometer, as well as survey telescopes such as VISTA. Also at Paranal, ESO will host and operate the south array of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory, the world’s largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory. Together with international partners, ESO operates ALMA on Chajnantor, a facility that observes the skies in the millimetre and submillimetre range. At Cerro Armazones, near Paranal, we are building “the world’s biggest eye on the sky” — ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope. From our offices in Santiago, Chile we support our operations in the country and engage with Chilean partners and society. 

Links

• ACES overview paper
• ACES science data in the ALMA Science Portal
• Photos of ALMA  
• ALMA Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade
• Find out more about ESO's Extremely Large Telescope on our dedicated website and press kit
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• For scientists: got a story? Pitch your research