Structural measurements and cell line studies of the copper– PEG–Amikacin complex against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The bacterium responsible for causing tuberculosis is increasing its resistance to antibiotics resulting in new multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant M. tuberculosis (XDR-TB) strains. In this study, several analytical techniques including NMR, FT-ICR, MALDI-MS, and LC–MS are used to study different aspects of the Copper–polyethylene glycol (PEG)–Amikacin complex. The Cu(II) cation and the aggregate formed by PEG serve as a carrier for the antibiotic. Several Cu–PEG–Amikacin complex variations were tested against NIH-NIAID cell lines containing both resistant and nonresistant strains of M. tuberculosis.