Protease inhibitors block the protease enzyme of HIV, preventing production of infectious viral particles. NIH funded research led to the development of Angiogenesis inhibitor drugs that block the development of new blood vessels. Tumors cannot grow without creating new blood vessels to supply the tumor's nutritional needs. Drugs that control for the angiogenesis process in other life threatening diseases may be effective in treating a wide range of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and other diseases. NIH basic research found that an antipsychotic drug is highly effective in treating patients with severe schizophrenia.
Osteoporosis is characterized by a breakdown of the cells that build strong bones.
Current treatments, such as hormone replacement and anti-resorptive drugs are not appropriate or effective in all instances of bone loss, necessitating continued investigations into novel therapies. Tuberculosis infects almost 2 billion people worldwide and it is estimated that over 30 million will die from it within a decade. New drugs are needed that are not resistant to the disease-causing microbe. NIH funded researchers discovered that the drug commonly used to treat TB will not work on some TB strains. The mutation in the gene that codes for a protein makes TB cells invulnerable to the drug.