ArticleThe Journal of infectious diseases2026
Beyond Rifampin: Evaluating Rifapentine and Rifabutin as Alternative Treatments for Tuberculous Meningitis.
Article in The Journal of infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Host-directed treatments for tuberculous meningitis utilizing a multi-platform approach across mouse and human models.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Host-directed treatments for tuberculous meningitis: A multi-platform approach across mouse and human models.Research square · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTuberculous meningitis (TB meningitis), the most severe form of tuberculosis, carries high mortality and neurological sequelae, and current rifampin-based regimen are limited by poor central nervous system penetration. Alternative rifamycins like rifapentine and rifabutin, with different pharmacokinetic profiles, are effective for treating drug-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis, with rifapentine now forming the basis of a World Health Organization-approved 4-month daily rifapentine-moxifloxacin regimen, and retrospective studies showing that rifabutin-based regimens are effective and well tolerated, however, both drugs still need dedicated evaluation in TB meningitis.
methodsMice were intracranially inoculated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and treated with rifamycin (rifampin, rifapentine, or rifabutin)-based regimens at human equipotent doses. We assessed the bactericidal activities of the 3 regimens, rifamycin tissue concentrations, brain inflammation (brain magnetic resonance imaging, tissue immunofluorescence, cytokines), and neuronal injury.
resultsBoth rifapentine- and rifabutin-containing regimens demonstrated bactericidal activity in the brain, similar to or better than the standard rifampin-containing regimen, as well as reduced neuroinflammation and brain injury.
conclusionsAlternate rifamycins, rifapentine and rifabutin, show therapeutic activity and neuroprotective effects, supporting their evaluation in clinical trials for treating TB meningitis.
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Registered trials
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