Figure 7. A model describing clemastine as a host-directed drug against mycobacterial infection in both nascent and established infections.

Clemastine potentiates the purinergic channel, P2rx7, to increase calcium transients within infected macrophages. Clemastine enhances microbicidal activities within macrophages to kill intracellular bacteria (A, B) in a manner that requires p2rx7 (C), intact mycobacterial ESX-1 (D), and a functional inflammasome (E).