1
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Sun M, Fu L, Chen T, Dong N. Extracellular production of antifungal peptides from oxidative endotoxin-free E. coli and application. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:56. [PMID: 38175241 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12888-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Antifungal peptides (AFPs) can be used as novel preservatives, but achieving large-scale production and application remains a long-term challenge. In this study, we developed a hybrid peptide MD (metchnikowin-drosomycin fusion) secreted into Escherichia coli supernatant, demonstrating strong inhibitory activity against Aspergillus flavus and Botrytis cinerea. The fusion tag did not impact its activity. Moreover, an endotoxin-free and oxidative leaky strain was developed by knocking out the trxB, gor, and lpp genes of endotoxin-free E. coli ClearColi-BL21(DE3). This strain facilitates the proper folding of multi-disulfide bond proteins and promotes the extracellular production of recombinant bioactive AFP MD, achieving efficient production of endotoxin-free MD. In addition, temperature control replaces chemical inducers to further reduce production costs and circumvent the toxicity of inducers. This extracellularly produced MD exhibited favorable effectiveness in inhibiting fruit mold growth, and its safety was preliminarily established by gavage testing in mice, suggesting that it can be developed into a green and sustainable fruit fungicide. In conclusion, this study provides novel approaches and systematic concepts for producing extracellularly active proteins or peptides with industrial significance. KEY POINTS: • First report of extracellular production of bioactive antifungal peptide in Escherichia coli. • The hybrid antifungal peptide MD showed strong inhibitory activity against Aspergillus flavus and Botrytis cinerea, and the activity was not affected by the fusion tag. • Endotoxin-free oxidative Escherichia coli suitable for the expression of multi-disulfide bond proteins was constructed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengning Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Linglong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Tong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
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2
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Almeida-Bezerra JW, Pereira da Cruz R, Bezerra da Silva V, Da Silva Neto JX, Alves Lopes de Souza L, de Oliveira Bezerra de Sousa D, Monteiro Salgueiro Araujo N, Guimarães Gomes Silva R, Quefi B, Rau M, Andrade Rebelo R, Castro Dos Santos S, Everson da Silva L, Douglas Melo Coutinho H, Almeida Menezes S, Bezerra Morais-Braga MF, Morais de Oliveira AF. Exploring the Fluconazole-Resistance Modifying Activity and Potential Mechanism of Action of Fixed Oil from Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. (Caryocaraceae) against Candida Species. Chem Biodivers 2024; 21:e202301960. [PMID: 38196022 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202301960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. is used in the Chapada do Araripe region of Brazil for the treatment of genitourinary candidiasis. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antifungal activity, reduction of fungal virulence, and the preliminary toxicity of the fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of C. coriaceum tested against three Candida yeasts. The oil was characterized by gas chromatography (GC-MS and GC-FID). Antifungal activity was assessed using the serial microdilution method. Additionally, the potential of the oil as an enhancer of fluconazole action was tested at sub-inhibitory concentrations (MIC/8). The mechanism of action of C. coriaceum fixed oil was determined by evaluating the inhibition of morphological transition in Candida spp. The chemical composition of the fixed oil of C. coriaceum comprised both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Oleic (61 %) and palmitic (33 %) acids were the major constituents. Regarding its anti-Candida activity, the oil inhibited the growth of C. albicans (IC50 : 371 μg/mL) and C. tropicalis (IC50 : 830 μg/mL). Furthermore, the oil reversed the antifungal resistance of C. albicans and C. tropicalis, restoring the susceptibility to fluconazole and reducing their IC50 from 12.33 μg/mL and 362 μg/mL to 0.22 μg/mL and 13.93 μg/mL, respectively. The fixed oil of C. coriaceum completely inhibited the morphological transition of C. albicans and C. tropicalis at a concentration of 512 μg/mL, but exhibited limited low antifungal potential against C. krusei. The observed antifungal activity may be attributed to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the oil showed no toxic effect on the Drosophila melanogaster in vivo model. The fixed oil from the inner mesocarp of C. coriaceum emerge as a strong candidate for the development of new pharmaceutical formulations to treat infections caused by Candida spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Weverton Almeida-Bezerra
- Department of Botany, Federal University of Pernambuco-UFPE, s/n, Rua Professor Moraes Rego, Recife, Pernambuco, 50.670-901, Brazil
| | - Rafael Pereira da Cruz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Regional University of Cariri-URCA, 1161, Rua Cel. Antônio Luiz, Crato, Ceará, 63.105-000, Brazil
| | - Viviane Bezerra da Silva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Regional University of Cariri-URCA, 1161, Rua Cel. Antônio Luiz, Crato, Ceará, 63.105-000, Brazil
| | - João Xavier Da Silva Neto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceara'-UFC, s/n, Av. Humberto Monte, Fortaleza, 60.451-970, Brazil
| | - Larissa Alves Lopes de Souza
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceara'-UFC, s/n, Av. Humberto Monte, Fortaleza, 60.451-970, Brazil
| | | | - Nadine Monteiro Salgueiro Araujo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceara'-UFC, s/n, Av. Humberto Monte, Fortaleza, 60.451-970, Brazil
| | - Rafael Guimarães Gomes Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceara'-UFC, s/n, Av. Humberto Monte, Fortaleza, 60.451-970, Brazil
| | - Blasco Quefi
- Department of Chemistry, Regional University of Blumenau, FURB, Itoupava Seca, 89030-903, Blumenau, SC, Brazil
| | - Martinho Rau
- Department of Chemistry, Regional University of Blumenau, FURB, Itoupava Seca, 89030-903, Blumenau, SC, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Andrade Rebelo
- Department of Chemistry, Regional University of Blumenau, FURB, Itoupava Seca, 89030-903, Blumenau, SC, Brazil
| | - Sarah Castro Dos Santos
- Department of Chemistry, Regional University of Blumenau, FURB, Itoupava Seca, 89030-903, Blumenau, SC, Brazil
| | - Luiz Everson da Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Sustainable Territorial Development, Coastal Sector, Federal University of Paraná, Matinhos, PR, Brazil
| | - Henrique Douglas Melo Coutinho
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Regional University of Cariri-URCA, 1161, Rua Cel. Antônio Luiz, Crato, Ceará, 63.105-000, Brazil
| | - Saulo Almeida Menezes
- Center of Biotechnology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul-UFRGS, 9500, Av. Bento Gonçalves, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970, Brazil
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Maniah K. Anticandidal effectiveness of greenly synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles against candidal pathogens. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2024; 58:1097-1110. [PMID: 38351615 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2024.2315922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Drug resistance of pathogenic candidal strains to conventional antifungal agents represents a significant health issue contributing to high morbidity worldwide. Hence, the aim of the current study focused on evaluating the antifungal and synergistic activities of the green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles formulated using Laurus nobilis leaf extract. The biogenic ZnONPs were hexagonal in shape with average particle size diameter of 37.98 nm and pure crystalline structure as detected by XRD data. The highest antifungal activity of biogenic ZnONPs was detected against Candida parapsilosis strain demonstrating relative inhibitory zone diameters of 17.13 ± 0.74 and 25.78 ± 0.47 mm, at the concentrations of 100 and 200 µg/disk, respectively. Moreover, the biogenic ZnONPs demonstrated the highest synergistic activity with clotrimazole antifungal agent against Candida glabrata followed by Candida auris strains. MTT assay revealed that the biogenic ZnONPs showed low toxicity demonstrating relative IC50 value of 774.45 µg/mL against normal lung fibroblast cells which further affirmed their biosafety for application. In conclusion, the bioinspired ZnONPs could be utilized for the formulation of effective antifungal agents against drug resistant candidal strains and also could be combined with antifungal agents to boost their antifungal efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Maniah
- Department of Biology, King Khalid Military Academy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Devi S, Kumari S, Sharma A, Dhiman M, Thakur M, Kumar A. Boosting the photocatalytic activity of g-C 3N 4 via loading bio-synthesized Ag 0 nanoparticles and imidazole modification for the degradation and mineralization of fluconazole. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:15851-15871. [PMID: 38305976 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-31834-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of fluorinated organic compounds in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and textile industries has led to a potential increase in the environmental issues and health problems. Herein, a modified heterojunction of bio-synthesized Ag nanoparticles (Ag0 NPs) immobilized on imidazole-modified graphite carbon nitride (Im/g-C3N4) as a suitable support (Ag0/Im/g-C3N4) was hydrothermally synthesized and studied for the photocatalytic removal of the most widely used antifungal organo-fluorine compound-fluconazole (FCZ). The optical properties were thoroughly investigated in the present study, and it was observed that the proposed modification to g-C3N4 has led to the shifting of conduction and valance band edge position (for g-C3N4, -0.73 and 1.54 eV and for ICA, -1.14 and 1.28 eV), narrowing of band gap energies, i.e., 2.01 eV, and reduced charge recombination rate. The external and internal surface morphologies were scrutinized through FE-SEM and HR-TEM analyses. Functionalities and potential crystallinity were investigated using FTIR and XRD techniques. The elemental state and composition of the composite were analyzed via XPS. The obtained results substantiate the intended modifications in the ICA composite. The photocatalyst Ag0/Im/g-C3N4 (ICA) was able to degrade 95.74% of FCZ with a high degradation rate (k1) of 0.0289 min-1 within 2-h of the solar illumination experiment. The overall degradation process was observed to be governed by a pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Detailed parameters such as effects of ions, pH (optimized pH 4, highest degradation rate k1 =0.039 min-1), dissolved organic matter (DOM), and optimization of catalysts dosage were studied. The major reactive oxygen species (ROS) was identified as super-oxide radicals (O2●-). The HR-MS and COD-TOC analysis were used to evaluate the degradation and mineralization of FCZ forced by ICA catalysts. The ICA catalyst was found to be stable and reusable for up to five cycles suggesting towards its potential towards the mitigation of environmental pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushma Devi
- Department of Chemistry, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Maharaja Agrasen University, Atal Shiksha Kunj, Solan (HP), 174103, India
| | - Suman Kumari
- Department of Chemistry, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Maharaja Agrasen University, Atal Shiksha Kunj, Solan (HP), 174103, India
| | - Arush Sharma
- School of Sciences, Baddi University of Emerging Sciences and Technology, (BUEST) Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173205, India
| | - Manisha Dhiman
- Department of Chemistry, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Maharaja Agrasen University, Atal Shiksha Kunj, Solan (HP), 174103, India
- Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology, Maharaja Agrasen University, Atal Shiksha Kunj, Solan (HP), 174103, India
| | - Manita Thakur
- Department of Chemistry, IEC University, Baddi, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 174103, India
| | - Ajay Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Maharaja Agrasen University, Atal Shiksha Kunj, Solan (HP), 174103, India.
- Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology, Maharaja Agrasen University, Atal Shiksha Kunj, Solan (HP), 174103, India.
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5
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Zheng M, Chen H, Li X, Chen S, Shi Y, Hu H. Discovery of a novel antifungal agent: All-hydrocarbon stapling modification of peptide Aurein1.2. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3533. [PMID: 37431279 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Aurein1.2 is secreted by the Australian tree frog Litoria aurea and is active against a broad range of infectious microbes including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Its antifungal potency has garnered considerable interest in developing novel classes of natural antifungal agents to fight pathogenic infection by fungi. However, serious pharmacological hurdles remain, hindering its clinical translation. To alleviate its susceptibility to proteolytic degradation and improve its antifungal activity, six conformationally locked peptides were synthesized through hydrocarbon stapling modification and evaluated for their physicochemical and antifungal parameters. Among them, SAU2-4 exhibited significant improvement in helicity levels, protease resistance, and antifungal activity compared to the template linear peptide Aurein1.2. These results confirmed the prominent role of hydrocarbon stapling modification in the manipulation of peptide pharmacological properties and enhanced the application potential of Aurein1.2 in the field of antifungal agent development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjun Zheng
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huixuan Chen
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Si Chen
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yejiao Shi
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Honggang Hu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
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6
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Mudenda S, Matafwali SK, Mukosha M, Daka V, Chabalenge B, Chizimu J, Yamba K, Mufwambi W, Banda P, Chisha P, Mulenga F, Phiri M, Mfune RL, Kasanga M, Sartelli M, Saleem Z, Godman B. Antifungal resistance and stewardship: a knowledge, attitudes and practices survey among pharmacy students at the University of Zambia; findings and implications. JAC Antimicrob Resist 2023; 5:dlad141. [PMID: 38130703 PMCID: PMC10733812 DOI: 10.1093/jacamr/dlad141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Antifungal resistance (AFR) is a growing global public health concern. Little is currently known about knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding AFR and antifungal stewardship (AFS) in Zambia, and across the globe. To address this evidence gap, we conducted a study through a questionnaire design starting with pharmacy students as they include the next generation of healthcare professionals. Methods A cross-sectional study among 412 pharmacy students from June 2023 to July 2023 using a structured questionnaire. Multivariable analysis was used to determine key factors of influence. Results Of the 412 participants, 55.8% were female, with 81.6% aged between 18 and 25 years. Most students had good knowledge (85.9%) and positive attitudes (86.7%) but sub-optimal practices (65.8%) towards AFR and AFS. Overall, 30.2% of students accessed antifungals without a prescription. Male students were less likely to report a good knowledge of AFR (adjusted OR, AOR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.31-0.98). Similarly, students residing in urban areas were less likely to report a positive attitude (AOR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.13-0.91). Fourth-year students were also less likely to report good practices compared with second-year students (AOR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.27-0.85). Conclusions Good knowledge and positive attitudes must translate into good practices toward AFR and AFS going forward. Consequently, there is a need to provide educational interventions where students have low scores regarding AFR and AFS. In addition, there is a need to implement strategies to reduce inappropriate dispensing of antifungals, especially without a prescription, to reduce AFR in Zambia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steward Mudenda
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka PO Box 50110, Zambia
- Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinating Committee, Zambia National Public Health Institute, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Scott Kaba Matafwali
- Clinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Moses Mukosha
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka PO Box 50110, Zambia
| | - Victor Daka
- Department of Public Health, Michael Chilufya Sata School of Medicine, Copperbelt University, Ndola PO Box 71191, Zambia
| | - Billy Chabalenge
- Department of Medicines Control, Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority, Lusaka PO Box 31890, Zambia
| | - Joseph Chizimu
- Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinating Committee, Zambia National Public Health Institute, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Kaunda Yamba
- Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinating Committee, Zambia National Public Health Institute, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Webrod Mufwambi
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka PO Box 50110, Zambia
| | - Patrick Banda
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka PO Box 50110, Zambia
| | - Patience Chisha
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka PO Box 50110, Zambia
| | - Florence Mulenga
- Conservation Department, World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF Zambia Country Office), Lusaka PO Box 50551, Zambia
| | - McLawrence Phiri
- Department of Pharmacy, Maina Soko Medical Center, Woodlands, Lusaka PO Box 320091, Zambia
| | - Ruth Lindizyani Mfune
- Clinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Maisa Kasanga
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Zhengzhou University, College of Public Health, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | | | - Zikria Saleem
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan
| | - Brian Godman
- School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria 0208, South Africa
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Strathclyde University, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman 346, United Arab Emirates
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7
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Padaraju A, Dwivedi F, Kumar G. Microemulsions, nanoemulsions and emulgels as carriers for antifungal antibiotics. Ther Deliv 2023; 14:721-740. [PMID: 38014430 DOI: 10.4155/tde-2023-0076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
According to estimates, up to 25% of the world's population has fungal skin diseases, making them the most prevalent infectious disease. Several chemical classes of antifungal drugs are available to treat fungal infections. However, the major challenges of conventional formulations of antifungal drugs include poor pharmacokinetic profiles like solubility, low permeability, side effects and decreased efficacy. Novel drug delivery is a promising approach for overcoming pharmacokinetic limitations and increasing the effectiveness of antibiotics. In this review, we have shed light on microemulsions, nanoemulsions, and emulgels as novel drug delivery approaches for the topical delivery of antifungal antibiotics. We believe these formulations have potential translational value and could be developed for treating fungal infections in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annapurna Padaraju
- Department of Natural Products, Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research-Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Balanagar, 500037, India
| | - Falguni Dwivedi
- Department of Natural Products, Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research-Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Balanagar, 500037, India
| | - Gautam Kumar
- Department of Natural Products, Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research-Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Balanagar, 500037, India
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8
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Nenciarini S, Cavalieri D. Immunomodulatory Potential of Fungal Extracellular Vesicles: Insights for Therapeutic Applications. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1487. [PMID: 37892168 PMCID: PMC10605264 DOI: 10.3390/biom13101487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous vesicular organelles that perform a variety of biological functions including cell communication across different biological kingdoms. EVs of mammals and, to a lesser extent, bacteria have been deeply studied over the years, whereas investigations of fungal EVs are still in their infancy. Fungi, encompassing both yeast and filamentous forms, are increasingly recognized for their production of extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing a wealth of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. These EVs play pivotal roles in orchestrating fungal communities, bolstering pathogenicity, and mediating interactions with the environment. Fungal EVs have emerged as promising candidates for innovative applications, not only in the management of mycoses but also as carriers for therapeutic molecules. Yet, numerous questions persist regarding fungal EVs, including their mechanisms of generation, release, cargo regulation, and discharge. This comprehensive review delves into the present state of knowledge regarding fungal EVs and provides fresh insights into the most recent hypotheses on the mechanisms driving their immunomodulatory properties. Furthermore, we explore the considerable potential of fungal EVs in the realms of medicine and biotechnology. In the foreseeable future, engineered fungal cells may serve as vehicles for tailoring cargo- and antigen-specific EVs, positioning them as invaluable biotechnological tools for diverse medical applications, such as vaccines and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Duccio Cavalieri
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via Madonna del Piano 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy;
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Nematollahi MH, Mehrabani M, Hozhabri Y, Mirtajaddini M, Iravani S. Antiviral and antimicrobial applications of chalcones and their derivatives: From nature to greener synthesis. Heliyon 2023; 9:e20428. [PMID: 37810815 PMCID: PMC10556610 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Chalcones and their derivatives have been widely studied due to their versatile pharmacological and biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and antitumor effects. These compounds have shown suitable antiviral effects through the selective targeting of a variety of viral enzymes, including lactate dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), fumarate reductase, protein tyrosine phosphatase, topoisomerase-II, protein kinases, integrase/protease, and lactate/isocitrate dehydrogenase, among others. Chalcones and their derivatives have displayed excellent potential for combating pathogenic bacteria and fungi (especially, multidrug-resistant bacteria). However, relevant mechanisms should be further explored, focusing on inhibitory effects against DNA gyrase B, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase (MurA), and efflux pumps (e.g., NorA), among others. In addition, the antifungal and antiparasitic activities of these compounds (e.g., antitrypanosomal and antileishmanial properties) have prompted additional explorations. Nonetheless, systematic analysis of the relevant mechanisms, biosafety issues, and pharmacological properties, as well as clinical translation studies, are vital for practical applications. Herein, recent advancements pertaining to the antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic, and antifungal activities of chalcones and their derivatives are deliberated, focusing on the relevant mechanisms of action, crucial challenges, and future prospects. Furthermore, due to the great importance of greener and more sustainable synthesis of these valuable compounds, especially on an industrial scale, the progress made in this field has been briefly discussed. Hopefully, this review can serve as a catalyst for researchers to delve deeper into the exploration and designing of novel chalcone compounds with medicinal properties, especially against pathogenic viruses and multidrug-resistant bacteria as major causes of concern for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hadi Nematollahi
- Herbal and Traditional Medicines Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mehrnaz Mehrabani
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Yaser Hozhabri
- Applied Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Maryamossadat Mirtajaddini
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Siavash Iravani
- Independent Researcher, W Nazar ST, Boostan Ave, Isfahan, Iran
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10
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Sun B, Liu W, Wang Q, Liu Y, Yu S, Liu M, Han J. Design, Synthesis, and Activity Evaluation of Novel Dual-Target Inhibitors with Antifungal and Immunoregulatory Properties. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13007-13027. [PMID: 37705322 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Dual-target (CYP51/PD-L1) plays an important role in the process of fungal proliferation and immune suppression. A series of novel quinazoline compounds with dual-target inhibition function was constructed using the skeleton growth method, and their structures were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated. Among them, the perfected compounds (L11, L20, L21) were selected for further study, which exhibited remarkable biological activity against different fungal strains (MIC50, 0.25-2.0 μg/mL) in vitro. On the one hand, these compounds inhibited CYP51 activity, induced ROS aggregation, and mitochondrial damage; this ultimately caused fungal lysis and death. On the other hand, they also effectively activated the body's immune ability by blocking the interaction between PD-L1 and PD-1, slowed down the inflammatory reaction, and accelerated the recovery process of fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Sun
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Wenxia Liu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Qingpeng Wang
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Yating Liu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Shuai Yu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Min Liu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Jun Han
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
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11
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Rząd K, Ioannidi R, Marakos P, Pouli N, Olszewski M, Kostakis IK, Gabriel I. Xanthone synthetic derivatives with high anticandidal activity and positive mycostatic selectivity index values. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11893. [PMID: 37482547 PMCID: PMC10363532 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38963-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
With the current massive increases in drug-resistant microbial infection as well as the significant role of fungal infections in the death toll of COVID-19, discovering new antifungals is extremely important. Natural and synthetic xanthones are promising derivatives, although only few reports have demonstrated their antifungal mechanism of action in detail. Newly synthetized by us xanthone derivative 44 exhibited strong antifungal activity against reference and fluconazole resistant C. albicans strains. Our results indicate that the most active compounds 42 and 44 are not substrates for fungal ABC transporters (Cdr1p and Cdr2p) and Mdr1p, the main representative of the major facilitator superfamily efflux pumps, membrane proteins that are responsible for the development of resistance. Moreover, fungicidal mode of action reduces the probability of persistent or recurrent infections and resistance development. In this light, the demonstrated killing activity of the examined derivatives is their undoubted advantage. Novel synthesized compounds exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against human cell lines, although the selectivity index value for human pathogenic strains remained favourable. Our results also indicate that novel synthetized compounds 42 and 44 with antifungal activity target yeast topoisomerase II activity. In summary, further validation of xanthones applicability as antifungals is highly valuable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Rząd
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and BioTechMed Center, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza Str., 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Rachel Ioannidi
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15771, Zografou, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Marakos
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15771, Zografou, Greece
| | - Nicole Pouli
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15771, Zografou, Greece
| | - Mateusz Olszewski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and BioTechMed Center, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza Str., 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ioannis K Kostakis
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15771, Zografou, Greece
| | - Iwona Gabriel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and BioTechMed Center, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Narutowicza Str., 80-233, Gdańsk, Poland.
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12
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Carmo A, Rocha M, Pereirinha P, Tomé R, Costa E. Antifungals: From Pharmacokinetics to Clinical Practice. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12050884. [PMID: 37237787 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of antifungal drugs started in the 1950s with polyenes nystatin, natamycin and amphotericin B-deoxycholate (AmB). Until the present day, AmB has been considered to be a hallmark in the treatment of invasive systemic fungal infections. Nevertheless, the success and the use of AmB were associated with severe adverse effects which stimulated the development of new antifungal drugs such as azoles, pyrimidine antimetabolite, mitotic inhibitors, allylamines and echinochandins. However, all of these drugs presented one or more limitations associated with adverse reactions, administration route and more recently the development of resistance. To worsen this scenario, there has been an increase in fungal infections, especially in invasive systemic fungal infections that are particularly difficult to diagnose and treat. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the first fungal priority pathogens list, alerting people to the increased incidence of invasive systemic fungal infections and to the associated risk of mortality/morbidity. The report also emphasized the need to rationally use existing drugs and develop new drugs. In this review, we performed an overview of the history of antifungals and their classification, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) characteristics and clinical applications. In parallel, we also addressed the contribution of fungi biology and genetics to the development of resistance to antifungal drugs. Considering that drug effectiveness also depends on the mammalian host, we provide an overview on the roles of therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenomics as means to improve the outcome, prevent/reduce antifungal toxicity and prevent the emergence of antifungal resistance. Finally, we present the new antifungals and their main characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anália Carmo
- Advanced Unit for Pharmacokinetics and Personalized Therapeutics, Clinical Pathology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Marilia Rocha
- Advanced Unit for Pharmacokinetics and Personalized Therapeutics, Pharmacy Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patricia Pereirinha
- Advanced Unit for Pharmacokinetics and Personalized Therapeutics, Pharmacy Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rui Tomé
- Clinical Pathology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Eulália Costa
- Advanced Unit for Pharmacokinetics and Personalized Therapeutics, Clinical Pathology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
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13
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Meagher RB, Lewis ZA, Ambati S, Lin X. DectiSomes: C-type lectin receptor-targeted liposomes as pan-antifungal drugs. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 196:114776. [PMID: 36934519 PMCID: PMC10133202 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Combatting the ever-increasing threat from invasive fungal pathogens faces numerous fundamental challenges, including constant human exposure to large reservoirs of species in the environment, the increasing population of immunocompromised or immunosuppressed individuals, the unsatisfactory efficacy of current antifungal drugs and their associated toxicity, and the scientific and economic barriers limiting a new antifungal pipeline. DectiSomes represent a new drug delivery platform that enhances antifungal efficacy for diverse fungal pathogens and reduces host toxicity for current and future antifungals. DectiSomes employ pathogen receptor proteins - C-type lectins - to target drug-loaded liposomes to conserved fungal cognate ligands and away from host cells. DectiSomes represent one leap forward for urgently needed effective pan-antifungal therapy. Herein, we discuss the problems of battling fungal diseases and the state of DectiSome development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B Meagher
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Zachary A Lewis
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Suresh Ambati
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Xiaorong Lin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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14
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Xu R, Tang J, Hadianamrei R, Liu S, Lv S, You R, Pan F, Zhang P, Wang N, Cai Z, Zhao X. Antifungal activity of designed α-helical antimicrobial peptides. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:2845-2859. [PMID: 36857655 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm01797k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major global health concern prompting the quest for new antibiotics with higher efficiency and less proneness to drug resistance. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) offer such properties and have therefore gained increasing attention as a new generation of antibiotics to overcome AMR. In an attempt to develop new highly selective and highly efficient antifungal peptides, a sequence (named At1) originating from the natural AMP Ponericin-W1 was used as a lead sequence for rational design of a series of short cationic antifungal peptides named At2-At12. The charge, hydrophobicity, and terminal amino acids of the peptides were modified in a systematic way to investigate the effect of such structural changes on the biological activity of the peptides. Among all the designed peptides, three peptides (coded as At3, At5 and At10) exhibited high antifungal activity without any significant hemolytic activity in human red blood cells. The higher selectivity of these peptides for fungal cells over human cells was further confirmed in cocultures of Candida albicans and human foreskin fibroblasts. These three peptides lacked any hydrophilic residues in their hydrophobic domain, contained lysine residues in their hydrophilic region and had an overall charge of 7+. They also had a higher helical content in microbial membrane mimicking DPPG SUVs than the rest of the peptides. The fungi did not develop any resistance to the designed antifungal peptides even after 25 generations indicating low AMR. At5 was also used in vivo for the treatment of wounds infected with Candida albicans in mice and showed superiority over fluconazole for treating infection and accelerating wound healing. There was an interplay between the hydrophobicity and positive charge density to determine the antifungal activity of the peptides. The results from this study suggest this class of antifungal peptides as promising candidates for antifungal drugs with high efficiency, high biocompatibility and low propensity for drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruicheng Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Jing Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK.,School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2UP, UK
| | - Suyu Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Songwei Lv
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Rongrong You
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Fang Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Nan Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Zhiqiang Cai
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China. .,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
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15
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Bhattacharya R, Sourirajan A, Sharma P, Kumar A, Upadhyay NK, Shukla RK, Dev K, Krishnakumar B, Singh M, Bose D. Bioenhancer potential of Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa essential oil with antifungal drugs and its mode of action against Candida albicans. BIOCATALYSIS AND AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcab.2023.102647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
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16
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Rakhshan A, Rahmati Kamel B, Saffaei A, Tavakoli-Ardakani M. Hepatotoxicity Induced by Azole Antifungal Agents: A Review Study. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH : IJPR 2023; 22:e130336. [PMID: 38116543 PMCID: PMC10728840 DOI: 10.5812/ijpr-130336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Context Fungal infections are very common, and several medications are used to treat them. Azoles are prescribed widely to treat fungal infections. In addition to therapeutic effects, any drug can be accompanied by side effects in patients. One of the most important complications in this regard is liver injury. Therefore, hepatotoxicity induced by azole antifungal drugs were reviewed in this study. Evidence Acquisition English scientific papers were evaluated to review the effects of hepatotoxicity by azole antifungal agents, and the related studies' results were summarized using a table. The systematic search was implemented on electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. Original articles and review articles that were published before April 1, 2022, were included in the study. Those articles without available full text or non-English articles were excluded. Also, articles that reported pediatric data were excluded. Results Most studies have reported the effects of hepatotoxicity by azole antifungal agents, and their mechanisms have been described. Conclusions Clinical evaluations regarding the hepatotoxicity of antifungal agents provided in the literature were reviewed. Therefore, it is recommended to prescribe these drugs with caution in high-risk patients suffering from liver diseases, and patients should be monitored for hepatotoxicity. However, more research is needed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of azole antifungal agents and select appropriate drugs according to cost-effectiveness and the side effects' profiles, relying on lower incidence of this liver complication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Rakhshan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bardia Rahmati Kamel
- Students' Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Saffaei
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maria Tavakoli-Ardakani
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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17
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Chechi JL, da Costa FAC, Figueiredo JM, de Souza CM, Valdez AF, Zamith-Miranda D, Camara AC, Taborda CP, Nosanchuk JD. Vaccine development for pathogenic fungi: current status and future directions. Expert Rev Vaccines 2023; 22:1136-1153. [PMID: 37936254 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2023.2279570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fungal infections are caused by a broad range of pathogenic fungi that are found worldwide with different geographic distributions, incidences, and mortality rates. Considering that there are relatively few approved medications available for combating fungal diseases and no vaccine formulation commercially available, multiple groups are searching for new antifungal drugs, examining drugs for repurposing and developing antifungal vaccines, in order to control deaths, sequels, and the spread of these complex infections. AREAS COVERED This review provides a summary of advances in fungal vaccine studies and the different approaches under development, such as subunit vaccines, whole organism vaccines, and DNA vaccines, as well as studies that optimize the use of adjuvants. We conducted a literature search of the PubMed with terms: fungal vaccines and genus of fungal pathogens (Cryptococcus spp. Candida spp. Coccidioides spp. Aspergillus spp. Sporothrix spp. Histoplasma spp. Paracoccidioides spp. Pneumocystis spp. and the Mucorales order), a total of 177 articles were collected from database. EXPERT OPINION Problems regarding the immune response development in an immunocompromised organism, the similarity between fungal and mammalian cells, and the lack of attention by health organizations to fungal infections are closely related to the fact that, at present, there are no fungal vaccines available for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica L Chechi
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Felipe A C da Costa
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Julia M Figueiredo
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Cássia M de Souza
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Biologia Molecular de Fungos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo, Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Alessandro F Valdez
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Aline C Camara
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos P Taborda
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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18
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Punia A, Choudhary P, Sharma N, Dahiya S, Gulia P, Chhillar AK. Therapeutic Approaches for Combating Aspergillus Associated Infection. Curr Drug Targets 2022; 23:1465-1488. [PMID: 35748549 DOI: 10.2174/1389450123666220623164548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Now-a-days fungal infection emerges as a significant problem to healthcare management systems due to high frequency of associated morbidity, mortality toxicity, drug-drug interactions, and resistance of the antifungal agents. Aspergillus is the most common mold that cause infection in immunocompromised hosts. It's a hyaline mold that is cosmopolitan and ubiquitous in nature. Aspergillus infects around 10 million population each year with a mortality rate of 30-90%. Clinically available antifungal formulations are restricted to four classes (i.e., polyene, triazole, echinocandin, and allylamine), and each of them have their own limitations associated with the activity spectrum, the emergence of resistance, and toxicity. Consequently, novel antifungal agents with modified and altered chemical structures are required to combat these invasive fungal infections. To overcome these limitations, there is an urgent need for new antifungal agents that can act as potent drugs in near future. Currently, some compounds have shown effective antifungal activity. In this review article, we have discussed all potential antifungal therapies that contain old antifungal drugs, combination therapies, and recent novel antifungal formulations, with a focus on the Aspergillus associated infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aruna Punia
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
| | - Pooja Choudhary
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
| | - Namita Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
| | - Sweety Dahiya
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
| | - Prity Gulia
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
| | - Anil K Chhillar
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India
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19
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Harley BK, Quagraine AM, Neglo D, Aggrey MO, Orman E, Mireku-Gyimah NA, Amengor CD, Jato J, Saaka Y, Fleischer TC. Metabolite profiling, antifungal, biofilm formation prevention and disruption of mature biofilm activities of Erythrina senegalensis stem bark extract against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278096. [PMID: 36441750 PMCID: PMC9704668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The antifungal activity of the 70% ethanol stem bark extract of Erythrina senegalensis (ESB) against different strains and drug resistant clinical isolates of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata were evaluated in the study. The effect of ESB on biofilms as well as its activity in combination with fluconazole, nystatin or caspofungin against the Candida strains were also evaluated. We then evaluated the antifungal activity of a microemulsion formulation of ESB against planktonic and biofilms of the Candida species. UPLC-QTOF-MS2 analysis was then undertaken to identify the phytoconstituents of the extract and UPLC fingerprints developed for the routine authentication as part of quality control measures. ESB exerted strong antifungal activities against C. albicans ATCC 10231 and SC5314 strains, and C. glabrata ATCC 2001 strain with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values from 3.91 to 31.25 μg/mL and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) that ranged from 62.5 to 250 μg/mL. It also exhibited potent antifungal activities (MIC = 4-64 μg/mL) against a collection of C. albicans and C. glabrata clinical isolates that were resistant to either nystatin or azole antifungals. The formulated ESB demonstrated higher antifungal potency against the C. albicans and C. glabrata strains with MIC values of 3.91-31.25 μg/mL which was the same as the MFC values. The extract and its microemulsion formulation were active against biofilms of the strains of the Candida species inhibiting their biofilm formations (SMIC50 = 16-64 μg/mL) and their preformed biofilms (SMIC50 = 128 ->512 μg/mL). ESB also exhibited synergistic antifungal action with fluconazole and nystatin against C. albicans ATCC 10231 and C. glabrata ATCC 2001 strains in the checkerboard assay. Chemical characterization of the extract revealed the presence of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids and their prenylated derivatives, anthracene glycosides and alkaloids. UPLC Fingerprints of the extract was also developed and validated for routine identification and authentication of the stem bark of E. senegalensis. The study findings have demonstrated that the stem bark of E. senegalensis is as a potential source of bioactive compounds that could be developed as novel antifungal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kingsley Harley
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
- * E-mail:
| | - Anthony Martin Quagraine
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - David Neglo
- Department of Basic Science, School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Mike Okweesi Aggrey
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Emmanuel Orman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Nana Ama Mireku-Gyimah
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Cedric Dzidzor Amengor
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Jonathan Jato
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Yussif Saaka
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
| | - Theophilus Christian Fleischer
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Herbal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
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20
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Yan R, Liu J, Dong Z, Peng Q. Nanomaterials-mediated photodynamic therapy and its applications in treating oral diseases. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2022; 144:213218. [PMID: 36436431 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Oral diseases, such as dental caries, periodontitis and oral cancer, have a very high morbidity over the world. Basically, many oral diseases are commonly related to bacterial infections or cell malignant proliferation, and usually located on the superficial positions. These features allow the convenient and efficient application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for oral diseases, since PDT is ideally suitable for the diseases on superficial sites and has been widely used for antimicrobial and anticancer therapy. Photosensitizers (PSs) are an essential element in PDT, which induce the generation of a large number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon absorption of specific lights. Almost all the PSs are small molecules and commonly suffered from various problems in the PDT environment, such as low solubility and poor stability. Recently, reports on the nanomedicine-based PDT have been well documented. Various functionalized nanomaterials can serve either as the PSs carriers or the direct PSs, thus enhancing the PDT efficacy. Herein, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the features of different oral diseases and discuss the potential applications of nanomedicine-based PDT in the treatment of some common oral diseases. Also, the concerns and possible solutions for nanomaterials-mediated PDT are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijiao Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jianhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zaiquan Dong
- Mental Health Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Qiang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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21
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Zambrano P, Xavier LC, Santos AM, Rossato L, da Costa JC, Serafini MR, Aragón M, Souto RB, Alves IA. What do we have that is new in antifungal peptides? A patent review. Future Microbiol 2022; 17:1421-1432. [PMID: 36169343 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2022-0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Drugs used to fight fungal infections may cause toxic or adverse drug interactions. For this reason, there is an increase in the development of natural, semisynthetic and synthetic antifungal peptides. This study aimed to perform a patent review to identify the advances in peptides to treat fungal infections. In a preliminary assessment, 597 patents were identified from the database. Then, duplicated patents (62) and those with titles in disagreement with the scope of this review (196) were excluded. Then, six patents were not in English or Spanish. Following the screening, 288 patents were outside the focus of this review, according to their abstract and description. The final selection covered 45 patents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Zambrano
- Departamento de Farmacia. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Leonardo C Xavier
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador-BA, Brazil
| | - Anamaria M Santos
- Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Luana Rossato
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados-MS, Brazil
| | - Juliana C da Costa
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mairim R Serafini
- Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
| | - Marcela Aragón
- Departamento de Farmacia. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Ricardo B Souto
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador-BA, Brazil
| | - Izabel A Alves
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the State University of Bahia, Salvador-BA, Brazil & Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador-BA, Brazil
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22
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Fungal calcineurin complex as an antifungal target: From past to present to future. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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23
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Sharma M, Yadav A, Dubey KK, Tipple J, Das DB. Decentralized systems for the treatment of antimicrobial compounds released from hospital aquatic wastes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 840:156569. [PMID: 35690196 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In many developing countries, untreated hospital effluents are discharged and treated simultaneously with municipal wastewater. However, if the hospital effluents are not treated separately, they pose concerning health risks due to the possible transport of the antimicrobial genes and microbes in the environment. Such effluent is considered as a point source for a number of potentially infectious microorganisms, waste antimicrobial compounds and other contaminants that could promote antimicrobial resistance development. The removal of these contaminants prior to discharge reduces the exposure of antimicrobials to the environment and this should lower the risk of superbug development. At an effluent discharge site, suitable pre-treatment of wastewater containing antimicrobials could maximise the ecological impact with potentially reduced risk to human health. In addressing these points, this paper reviews the applications of decentralized treatment systems toward reducing the concentration of antimicrobials in wastewater. The most commonly used techniques in decentralized wastewater treatment systems for onsite removal of antimicrobials were discussed and evidence suggests that hybrid techniques should be more useful for the efficient removal of antimicrobials. It is concluded that alongside the cooperation of administration departments, health industries, water treatment authorities and general public, decentralized treatment technology can efficiently enhance the removal of antimicrobial compounds, thereby decreasing the concentration of contaminants released to the environment that could pose risks to human and ecological health due to development of antimicrobial resistance in microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manisha Sharma
- Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana 123031, India
| | - Ankush Yadav
- Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana 123031, India
| | - Kashyap Kumar Dubey
- Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India.
| | - Joshua Tipple
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - Diganta Bhusan Das
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, United Kingdom.
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24
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Cui X, Wang L, Lü Y, Yue C. Development and research progress of anti-drug resistant fungal drugs. J Infect Public Health 2022; 15:986-1000. [PMID: 35981408 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2022.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
With the widespread use of immunosuppressive agents and the increase in patients with severe infections, the incidence of fungal infections worldwide has increased year by year. The fungal pathogens Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus cause a total of more than 1 million deaths each year. Long-term use of antifungal drugs can easily lead to fungal resistance, and the prevalence of drug-resistant fungi is a major global health challenge. In order to effectively control global fungal infections, there is an urgent need for new drugs that can exert effective antifungal activity and overcome drug resistance. We must promote the discovery of new antifungal targets and drugs, and find effective ways to control drug-resistant fungi through different ways, so as to reduce the threat of drug-resistant fungi to human life, health and safety. In the past few years, certain progress has been made in the research and development of antifungal drugs. In addition to summarizing some of the antifungal drugs currently approved by the FDA, this review also focuses on potential antifungal drugs, the repositioned drugs, and drugs that can treat drug-resistant bacteria and fungal infections, and provide new ideas for the development of antifungal drugs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Cui
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Drugs Innovation and Transformation of Yan'an, School of Basic Medicine, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China; Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources,Yan'an University, NO.580 Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Lanlin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Drugs Innovation and Transformation of Yan'an, School of Basic Medicine, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China; Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources,Yan'an University, NO.580 Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Yuhong Lü
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Drugs Innovation and Transformation of Yan'an, School of Basic Medicine, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China; Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources,Yan'an University, NO.580 Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Changwu Yue
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Drugs Innovation and Transformation of Yan'an, School of Basic Medicine, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China; Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources,Yan'an University, NO.580 Shengdi Road, Baota District, Yan'an 716000, Shaanxi, China.
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25
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Antifungal and Cytotoxic Activity of Diterpenes and Bisnorsesquiterpenoides from the Latex of Euphorbia resinifera Berg. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27165234. [PMID: 36014466 PMCID: PMC9413093 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27165234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Euphorbia resinifera latex has been extensively utilized in traditional medicine due to its range of bioactivities. Chromatographic separations on silica gel of ethanol extract of E. resinifera latex led to the development of a new procedure for isolating resiniferatoxin (4) via dried E. resinifera latex and the identification of nine compounds. Among these, catechol (7), protocatechuic acid (8) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (9), known phenolic compounds, were identified for the first time in E. resinifera latex. Herein we investigated the effects of major compounds of the latex of E. resinifera on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, on the growth of Aspergillus carbonarius, a widespread fungal contaminant, and on the breast cancer cell line MCF7 as well as on MCF10A normal breast cells. 12-deoxyphorbol-13-isobutyrate-20-acetate (2) had an inhibiting effect on the growth of A. carbonarius, and 7-p-metoxyphenylacetate-3,8,12-triacetate ingol (3) showed a negative effect on yeast cell growth and also a cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cell line MCF7, but not on MCF10A cells. Deglucosyl euphorbioside A (5) and euphorbioside A (6) showed a discoloration effect that was possibly related to mitochondrial functionality in yeast, and also cytotoxicity only on the cancer cell line that was tested. Interestingly, treatment of MCF7 cells with 7-p-metoxyphenylacetate-3,8,12-triacetate ingol (3) and deglucosyl euphorbioside A (5) not only led to a specific cytotoxic effect but also to the increase in the level of intracellular ROS.
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26
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Rajesh S, Gangadoo S, Nguyen H, Zhai J, Dekiwadia C, Drummond CJ, Chapman J, Truong VK, Tran N. Application of Fluconazole-Loaded pH-Sensitive Lipid Nanoparticles for Enhanced Antifungal Therapy. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:32845-32854. [PMID: 35850116 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c05165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a yeast-like fungus that can cause the life-threatening disease cryptococcal meningitis. Numerous reports have shown increased resistance of this fungus against antifungal treatments, such as fluconazole (Fluc), contributing to an 80% global mortality rate. This work presents a novel approach to improve the delivery of the antifungal agent Fluc and increase the drug's targetability and availability at the infection site. Exploiting the acidic environment surrounding a C. neoformans infected site, we have developed pH-sensitive lipid nanoparticles (LNP) encapsulating Fluc to inhibit the growth of resistant C. neoformans. The LNP-Fluc delivery system consists of a neutral lipid monoolein (MO) and a novel synthetic ionizable lipid 2-morpholinoethyl oleate (O2ME). At neutral pH, because of the presence of O2ME, the nanoparticles are neutral and exhibit a liquid crystalline hexagonal nanostructure (hexosomes). At an acidic pH, they are positively charged with a cubic nanostructure (cubosomes), which facilitates the interaction with the negatively charged fungal cell wall. This interaction results in the MIC50 and MIC90 values of the LNP-Fluc being significantly lower than that of the free-Fluc control. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy further support the MIC values, showing fungal cells exposed to LNP-Fluc at acidic pH were heavily distorted, demonstrating efflux of cytoplasmic molecules. In contrast, fungal cells exposed to Fluc alone showed cell walls mostly intact. This current study represents a significant advancement in delivering targeted antifungal therapy to combat fungal antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarigama Rajesh
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Sheeana Gangadoo
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Han Nguyen
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Jiali Zhai
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Chaitali Dekiwadia
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Calum J Drummond
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - James Chapman
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Vi Khanh Truong
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Biomedical Nanoengineering Lab, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park 5043, South Australia
| | - Nhiem Tran
- School of Science, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
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27
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Gao Q, Cleves AE, Wang X, Liu Y, Bowen S, Williamson RT, Jain AN, Sherer E, Reibarkh M. Solution cis-Proline Conformation of IPCs Inhibitor Aureobasidin A Elucidated via NMR-Based Conformational Analysis. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 85:1449-1458. [PMID: 35622967 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.1c01071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Aureobasidin A (abA) is a natural depsipeptide that inhibits inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC) synthases with significant broad-spectrum antifungal activity. abA is known to have two distinct conformations in solution corresponding to trans- and cis-proline (Pro) amide bond rotamers. While the trans-Pro conformation has been studied extensively, cis-Pro conformers have remained elusive. Conformational properties of cyclic peptides are known to strongly affect both potency and cell permeability, making a comprehensive characterization of abA conformation highly desirable. Here, we report a high-resolution 3D structure of the cis-Pro conformer of aureobasidin A elucidated for the first time using a recently developed NMR-driven computational approach. This approach utilizes ForceGen's advanced conformational sampling of cyclic peptides augmented by sparse distance and torsion angle constraints derived from NMR data. The obtained 3D conformational structure of cis-Pro abA has been validated using anisotropic residual dipolar coupling measurements. Support for the biological relevance of both the cis-Pro and trans-Pro abA configurations was obtained through molecular similarity experiments, which showed a significant 3D similarity between NMR-restrained abA conformational ensembles and another IPC synthase inhibitor, pleofungin A. Such ligand-based comparisons can further our understanding of the important steric and electrostatic characteristics of abA and can be utilized in the design of future therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Gao
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Ann E Cleves
- Applied Science, BioPharmics LLC, Santa Rosa, California 95404, United States
| | - Xiao Wang
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Yizhou Liu
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Sean Bowen
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Robert Thomas Williamson
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Ajay N Jain
- Applied Science, BioPharmics LLC, Santa Rosa, California 95404, United States
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Edward Sherer
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Mikhail Reibarkh
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
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28
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Zhen C, Lu H, Jiang Y. Novel Promising Antifungal Target Proteins for Conquering Invasive Fungal Infections. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:911322. [PMID: 35783432 PMCID: PMC9243655 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.911322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) pose a serious clinical problem, but the antifungal arsenal is limited and has many disadvantages, such as drug resistance and toxicity. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop antifungal compounds that target novel target proteins of pathogenic fungi for treating IFIs. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the biological functions of novel promising target proteins for treating IFIs in pathogenic fungi and their inhibitors. Inhibitors of inositol phosphoramide (IPC) synthases (such as Aureobasidin A, Khafrefungin, Galbonolide A, and Pleofungin A) have potent antifungal activities by inhibiting sphingolipid synthesis. Disrupting glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) biosynthesis by Jawsamycin (an inhibitor of Spt14), M720 (an inhibitor of Mcd4), and APX001A (an inhibitor of Gwt1) is a promising strategy for treating IFIs. Turbinmicin is a natural-compound inhibitor of Sec14 and has extraordinary antifungal efficacy, broad-antifungal spectrum, low toxicity, and is a promising new compound for treating IFIs. CMLD013075 targets fungal heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and has remarkable antifungal efficacy. Olorofim, as an inhibitor of dihydrolactate dehydrogenase, is a breakthrough drug treatment for IFIs. These novel target proteins and their inhibitors may overcome the limitations of currently available antifungal drugs and improve patient outcomes in the treatment of IFIs.
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29
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Yang D, Zhu L, Lin X, Zhu J, Qian Y, Liu W, Chen J, Zhou C, He J. Therapeutic Effects of Synthetic Triblock Amphiphilic Short Antimicrobial Peptides on Human Lung Adenocarcinoma. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14050929. [PMID: 35631515 PMCID: PMC9143638 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of their unique properties, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a potential reservoir of novel anticancer therapeutic agents. However, only a few AMPs can kill tumors with high efficiency, and obtaining inexpensive anticancer AMPs with strong activity is still a challenge. In our previous work, a series of original short amphiphilic triblock AMP (KnFmKn) analogues were developed which were demonstrated to exert excellent effects on bacterial infection, both in vitro and in vivo. Herein, the overall objectives were to assess the potent tumoricidal capacities of these analogues against human lung cancer cell line A549 and the underlying mechanism. The results of the CCK-8 assay revealed that the precise modification of the peptides’ primary sequences could modulate their tumoricidal potency. In the tumoricidal progress, positive charge and hydrophobicity were the key driving forces. Among these peptides, K4F6K4 displayed the most remarkable tumoricidal activity. Furthermore, the excellent anticancer capacity of K4F6K4 was proven by the live/dead cell staining, colony formation assay, and tumor growth observations on xenografted mice, which indicated that K4F6K4 might be a promising drug candidate for lung cancer, with no significant adverse effects in vitro or in vivo. In addition, the cell apoptosis assay using flow cytometry, the morphology observations using the optical microscope, confocal microscopy using CellMask™ Deep Red staining, and scanning electron microscope suggested that membrane disruption was the primary mechanism of its antitumor action. Through analyzing the structure–activity relationship, it was found that the amount of positive charge required for KnFmKn to exert its optimal tumoricidal effect was more than that needed for the antimicrobial activity, while the optimal proportion of hydrophobicity was less. Our findings suggest that further analysis of the structure–activity relationship of AMPs’ primary sequence variations will be beneficial. Hopefully, this work can provide guiding principles in designing peptide-based therapeutics for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danjing Yang
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Liang Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Xiangyu Lin
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Jiaming Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Yusheng Qian
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China;
| | - Wenhui Liu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Chuncai Zhou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China;
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (J.H.)
| | - Jing He
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (J.H.)
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30
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Wang Y, Xu H, Chen N, Yang J, Zhou H. LncRNA: A Potential Target for Host-Directed Therapy of Candida Infection. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14030621. [PMID: 35335994 PMCID: PMC8954347 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite various drugs work against Candida, candidiasis represents clinical management challenges worldwide due to the rising incidence and recurrence rate, as well as epidemics, of new drug-resistant pathogens. Recent insights into interactions between Candida and hosts contribute to exploring novel therapeutic strategies, termed host-directed therapies (HDTs). HDTs are viable adjuncts with good efficacy for the existing standard antifungal regimens. However, HDTs induce other response unintendedly, thus requiring molecular targets with highly specificity. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with highly specific expression patterns could affect biological processes, including the immune response. Herein, this review will summarize recent advances of HDTs based on the Candida–host interaction. Especially, the findings and application strategies of lncRNAs related to the host response are emphasized. We propose it is feasible to target lncRNAs to modulate the host defense during Candida infection, which provides a new perspective in identifying options of HDTs for candidiasis.
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31
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Barros ALAN, Hamed A, Marani M, Moreira DC, Eaton P, Plácido A, Kato MJ, Leite JRSA. The Arsenal of Bioactive Molecules in the Skin Secretion of Urodele Amphibians. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:810821. [PMID: 35095522 PMCID: PMC8795703 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.810821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Urodele amphibians (∼768 spp.), salamanders and newts, are a rich source of molecules with bioactive properties, especially those isolated from their skin secretions. These include pharmacological attributes, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, vasoactive, immune system modulation, and dermal wound healing activities. Considering the high demand for new compounds to guide the discovery of new drugs to treat conventional and novel diseases, this review summarizes the characteristics of molecules identified in the skin of urodele amphibians. We describe urodele-derived peptides and alkaloids, with emphasis on their biological activities, which can be considered new scaffolds for the pharmaceutical industry. Although much more attention has been given to anurans, bioactive molecules produced by urodeles have the potential to be used for biotechnological purposes and stand as viable alternatives for the development of therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L A N Barros
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Tropical, PPGMT, Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, NMT, Faculdade de Medicina, UnB, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Abdelaaty Hamed
- Instituto de Química, IQ, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City-Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mariela Marani
- IPEEC-CONICET, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Daniel C Moreira
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Peter Eaton
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Joseph Banks Laboratories, The Bridge, School of Chemistry, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Plácido
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Bioprospectum, Lda, UPTEC, Porto, Portugal
| | - Massuo J Kato
- Instituto de Química, IQ, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Roberto S A Leite
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Morfologia e Imunologia Aplicada, NuPMIA, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Tropical, PPGMT, Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, NMT, Faculdade de Medicina, UnB, Brasília, Brazil.,Bioprospectum, Lda, UPTEC, Porto, Portugal
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32
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Zeng Z, Wang Y, Anwar M, Hu Z, Wang C, Lou S, Li H. Molecular cloning and expression analysis of mytilin-like antimicrobial peptides from Asian green mussel Perna viridis. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 121:239-244. [PMID: 34990807 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2021.12.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mytilin is one of the most important CS-αβ peptides involved in innate immune response in Mytilidae. In this study, we successfully identified four mytilin-like antimicrobial peptides (pernalins) from Asian green mussel Perna viridis by aligning the P. viridis transcriptome with 186 mytilins and myticins related sequences collected from the transcriptome data of six Mytilus species. Analysis on gene structure showed that pernalin genes had high conservation with mytilin B of Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Interestingly, all pernalin genes have a similar tissue expression feature, evidenced by the highest transcription level observed in the hemocytes and followed by the mantle. The lowest transcription level was observed in the foot and gills. qRT-PCR analysis showed that all pernalin genes were significantly down-regulated at each time points from 3 h to 48 h after Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection, suggesting their timely immune responses after bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Zeng
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China; Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China
| | - Yuting Wang
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, Hebei, PR China
| | - Muhammad Anwar
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China
| | - Zhangli Hu
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China
| | - Chaogang Wang
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China
| | - Sulin Lou
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China.
| | - Hui Li
- Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource & Eco-environmental Science, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, PR China.
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33
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Corrêa PC, Fernandes FF, Costa MV, Landgraf TN, Panunto-Castelo A. Biochemical characterization and analysis of gene expression of an α-mannosidase secreted by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Med Mycol 2022; 60:6514532. [PMID: 35076076 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by fungi of the Paracoccidioides genus, being endemic in Latin America and with the highest number of cases in Brazil. Paracoccidioides spp. release a wide range of molecules, such as enzymes, which may be important for PCM establishment. Here, we identified the 85- and 90-kDa proteins from the supernatants of P. brasiliensis cultures as being an α-mannosidase. Because the expected mass of this α-mannosidase is 124.2-kDa, we suggest that the proteins were cleavage products. Indeed, we found an α-mannosidase activity in the culture supernatants among the excreted/secreted antigens (ESAg). Moreover, we determined that the enzyme activity was optimal in buffer at pH 5.6, at the temperature of 45ºC, and with a concentration of 3 mM of the substrate p-NP-α-D-Man. Remarkably, we showed that the gene expression of this α-mannosidase was higher in yeasts than hyphae in three P. brasiliensis isolates with different virulence degrees that were grown in Ham's F12 synthetic medium for 15 days. But in complex media YPD and Fava Netto, the significantly higher gene expression in yeasts than in hyphae was seen only for the virulent isolate Pb18, but not for intermediate virulence Pb339 and low virulence Pb265 isolates. These results about the high expression of the α-mannosidase gene in the pathogenic yeast form of P. brasiliensis open perspectives for studying this α-mannosidase concerning the virulence of P. brasiliensis isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila C Corrêa
- Graduate Program in Basic and Applied Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo V Costa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Ademilson Panunto-Castelo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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Bu FZ, Yu YM, Shen YL, Liu L, Yan CW, Wu ZY, Li YT. Cocrystallization-driven self-assembly with vanillic acid offers a new opportunity for surmounting fast and excessive absorption issues of antifungal drug 5-fluorocytosine: a combined theoretical and experimental research. CrystEngComm 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2ce00114d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The cocrystal of 5-fluorocytosine (FCY) with vanillic acid (VAA) was assembled via a cocrystallization technique, giving a novel understanding for conquering the dose-limited hepatotoxicity caused by the rapid and almost complete absorption of FCY.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan-Zhi Bu
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy and College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, PR China
| | - Yue-Ming Yu
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy and College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, PR China
| | - Yu-Li Shen
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy and College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, PR China
| | - Lu Liu
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy and College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, PR China
| | - Cui-Wei Yan
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy and College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, PR China
| | - Zhi-Yong Wu
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy and College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, PR China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266003, PR China
| | - Yan-Tuan Li
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy and College of Marine Life Science, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, PR China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266003, PR China
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Kumar M, Prasad R, Singh A. High-Throughput Phospholipidomics of Candida Cells: From Sample Preparation to Data Analysis. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2542:127-140. [PMID: 36008661 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2549-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory identification of Candida species is often complicated by overlapping features. Species specificity is critical to the appropriate use of interventions.Accurate identification and quantification of lipid species in complex lipid mixtures are crucial for assigning biological functions to lipids of fungi. Recently, much has been achieved in the field of mass spectrometry, allowing high-throughput screening of simple and complex lipid structures. The next-generation, high-resolution mass spectrometers allow accurate analysis and a much broader spectrum for lipidomic studies; nonetheless, these are often expensive, and data analysis is complex, which presents a challenge in routine lipid studies. Alternatively, by coupling the ion trap with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in an HPLC-ESI-MS/MS (high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry) platform, we can achieve rapid, sensitive, and accurate quantification of lipids in Candida extracts. Moreover, the approach is simple and relatively cost-effective. Below, we discuss the key features of ion trap HPLC-ESI-MS/MS-based comparative lipidomics of Candida cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar
- Amity Institute of Integrative Sciences and Health, Amity University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Amity Institute of Integrative Sciences and Health, Amity University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India.
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India.
| | - Ashutosh Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Del Bino L, Romano MR. Role of carbohydrate antigens in antifungal glycoconjugate vaccines and immunotherapy. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY. TECHNOLOGIES 2021; 38:45-55. [PMID: 34895640 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of fungal infection is a growing public health concern that in the latest years is becoming a serious threat to humans, particularly for immunocompromised individuals. Invasive fungal infections (IFIs), which are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, are on the rise due to the availability of only a few old antifungal agents. In addition to this, the growing use of antibiotics makes the population increasingly susceptible to these infections. Since carbohydrates are the main component of the fungal cell wall, the study of fungal glycans as potential targets for the fight against IFIs has aroused much interest in recent decades. In most fungal species the saccharides of the core are made up of chitin and β-glucans, while the outer layer carbohydrates vary according to the fungal species, such as mannans for Candida albicans, galactomannans for Aspergillus fumigatus hyphae, α-glucans for Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans, glucuronoxylomannans (GXM) and galactoxylomannans (GalXM) for Criptococcus neoformans. Being surface antigens, fungal carbohydrates are a logical target for the development of antifungal glycoconjugate vaccines and for immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies. This review summarizes recent findings on active and passive immunization strategies based on fungal carbohydrates explored preclinically for three of the major fungal pathogens: Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus fumigatus.
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Tsukuda Y, Mizuhara N, Usuki Y, Yamaguchi Y, Ogita A, Tanaka T, Fujita K. Structure-activity relationships of antifungal phenylpropanoid derivatives and their synergy with n-dodecanol and fluconazole. Lett Appl Microbiol 2021; 74:377-384. [PMID: 34825394 DOI: 10.1111/lam.13613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
trans-Anethole (anethole) is a phenylpropanoid; with other drugs, it exhibits synergistic activity against several fungi and is expected to be used in new therapies that cause fewer patient side effects. However, the detailed substructure(s) of the molecule responsible for this synergy has not been fully elucidated. We investigated the structure-activity relationships of phenylpropanoids and related derivatives, with particular attention on the methoxy group and the double bond of the propenyl group in anethole, as well as the length of the p-alkyl chain in p-alkylanisoles. Antifungal potency was largely related to p-alkyl chain length and the methoxy group of anethole, but not to the double bond of its propenyl group. Production of reactive oxygen species also played a role in these fungicidal activities. Inhibition of drug efflux was associated with the length of the p-alkyl chain and the double bond of the propenyl group in anethole, but not with the methoxy group. Although a desirable synergy was observed between n-dodecanol and anethole or p-alkylanisoles with a length of C2-C6 in alkyl chains, it cannot be explained away as being solely due to the inhibition of drug efflux. Similar results were obtained when phenylpropanoid derivatives were combined with fluconazole against Candida albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Tsukuda
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - N Mizuhara
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Y Usuki
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Y Yamaguchi
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - A Ogita
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.,Research Center for Urban Health and Sports, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - T Tanaka
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.,Research Center for Urban Health and Sports, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - K Fujita
- Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
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Almeida-Paes R, de Andrade IB, Ramos MLM, Rodrigues MVDA, do Nascimento VA, Bernardes-Engemann AR, Frases S. Medicines for Malaria Venture COVID Box: a source for repurposing drugs with antifungal activity against human pathogenic fungi. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2021; 116:e210207. [PMID: 34755820 PMCID: PMC8577065 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760210207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment of mycoses is often ineffective, usually prolonged, and has some side effects. These facts highlight the importance of discovering new molecules to treat fungal infections. OBJECTIVES To search the Medicines for Malaria Venture COVID Box for drugs with antifungal activity. METHODS Fourteen human pathogenic fungi were tested against the 160 drugs of this collection at 1.0 µM concentration. We evaluated the ability of the drugs to impair fungal growth, their fungicidal nature, and morphological changes caused to cells. FINDINGS Thirty-four molecules (21.25%) presented antifungal activity. Seven are antifungal drugs and one is the agricultural fungicide cycloheximide. The other drugs with antifungal activity included antibiotics (n = 3), antimalarials (n = 4), antivirals (n = 2), antiparasitcs (n = 3), antitumor agents (n = 5), nervous system agents (n = 3), immunosuppressants (n = 3), antivomiting (n = 1), antiasthmatic (n = 1), and a genetic disorder agent (n = 1). Several of these drugs inhibited Histoplasma capsulatum and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis growth (15 and 20, respectively), while Fusarium solani was not affected by the drugs tested. Most drugs were fungistatic, but niclosamide presented fungicidal activity against the three dimorphic fungi tested. Cyclosporine affected morphology of Cryptococcus neoformans. MAIN CONCLUSIONS These drugs represent new alternatives to the development of more accessible and effective therapies to treat human fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Almeida-Paes
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Micologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Iara Bastos de Andrade
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Mariana Lucy Mesquita Ramos
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Marcus Vinícius de Araújo Rodrigues
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Vinícius Alves do Nascimento
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Andréa Reis Bernardes-Engemann
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Micologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Susana Frases
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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Liu W, Sun Z, An Y, Liu Y, Fan H, Han J, Sun B. Construction and activity evaluation of novel dual-target (SE/CYP51) anti-fungal agents containing amide naphthyl structure. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 228:113972. [PMID: 34772530 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
With the increase of fungal infection and drug resistance, it is becoming an urgent task to discover the highly effective antifungal drugs. In the study, we selected the key ergosterol bio-synthetic enzymes (Squalene epoxidase, SE; 14 α-demethylase, CYP51) as dual-target receptors to guide the construction of novel antifungal compounds, which could achieve the purpose of improving drug efficacy and reducing drug-resistance. Three different series of amide naphthyl compounds were generated through the method of skeleton growth, and their corresponding target products were synthesized. Most of compounds displayed the obvious biological activity against different Candida spp. and Aspergillus fumigatus. Among of them, target compounds 14a-2 and 20b-2 not only possessed the excellent broad-spectrum anti-fungal activity (MIC50, 0.125-2 μg/mL), but also maintained the anti-drug-resistant fungal activity (MIC50, 1-4 μg/mL). Preliminary mechanism study revealed the compounds (14a-2, 20b-2) could block the bio-synthetic pathway of ergosterol by inhibiting the dual-target (SE/CYP51) activity, and this finally caused the cleavage and death of fungal cells. In addition, we also discovered that compounds 14a-2 and 20b-2 with low toxic and side effects could exert the excellent therapeutic effect in mice model of fungal infection, which was worthy for further in-depth study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxia Liu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng, 252000, PR China
| | - Zhuang Sun
- State Key Lab of High-Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1295 Dingxi Road, Shanghai, 200050, PR China
| | - Yunfei An
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng, 252000, PR China
| | - Yating Liu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng, 252000, PR China
| | - Haiyan Fan
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng, 252000, PR China
| | - Jun Han
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng, 252000, PR China
| | - Bin Sun
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng, 252000, PR China.
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Long J, Ji W, Zhang D, Zhu Y, Bi Y. Bioactivities and Structure-Activity Relationships of Fusidic Acid Derivatives: A Review. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:759220. [PMID: 34721042 PMCID: PMC8554340 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.759220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fusidic acid (FA) is a natural tetracyclic triterpene isolated from fungi, which is clinically used for systemic and local staphylococcal infections, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci infections. FA and its derivatives have been shown to possess a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antibacterial, antimalarial, antituberculosis, anticancer, tumor multidrug resistance reversal, anti-inflammation, antifungal, and antiviral activity in vivo and in vitro. The semisynthesis, structural modification and biological activities of FA derivatives have been extensively studied in recent years. This review summarized the biological activities and structure-activity relationship (SAR) of FA in the last two decades. This summary can prove useful information for drug exploration of FA derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Long
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China
| | - Wentao Ji
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China
| | - Doudou Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China
| | - Yifei Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China
| | - Yi Bi
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China
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Ziental D, Mlynarczyk DT, Czarczynska-Goslinska B, Lewandowski K, Sobotta L. Photosensitizers Mediated Photodynamic Inactivation against Fungi. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11112883. [PMID: 34835655 PMCID: PMC8621466 DOI: 10.3390/nano11112883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Superficial and systemic fungal infections are essential problems for the modern health care system. One of the challenges is the growing resistance of fungi to classic antifungals and the constantly increasing cost of therapy. These factors force the scientific world to intensify the search for alternative and more effective methods of treatment. This paper presents an overview of new fungal inactivation methods using Photodynamic Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (PACT). The results of research on compounds from the groups of phenothiazines, xanthanes, porphyrins, chlorins, porphyrazines, and phthalocyanines are presented. An intensive search for a photosensitizer with excellent properties is currently underway. The formulation based on the existing ones is also developed by combining them with nanoparticles and common antifungal therapy. Numerous studies indicate that fungi do not form any specific defense mechanism against PACT, which deems it a promising therapeutic alternative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ziental
- Chair and Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grunwaldzka 6, 60-780 Poznan, Poland; (D.Z.); (K.L.)
| | - Dariusz T. Mlynarczyk
- Chair and Department of Chemical Technology of Drugs, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grunwaldzka 6, 60-780 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Beata Czarczynska-Goslinska
- Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grunwaldzka 6, 60-780 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Konrad Lewandowski
- Chair and Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grunwaldzka 6, 60-780 Poznan, Poland; (D.Z.); (K.L.)
| | - Lukasz Sobotta
- Chair and Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Grunwaldzka 6, 60-780 Poznan, Poland; (D.Z.); (K.L.)
- Correspondence:
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Therapeutic Effect of an Antibody-Derived Peptide in a Galleria mellonella Model of Systemic Candidiasis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222010904. [PMID: 34681564 PMCID: PMC8536055 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222010904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthetic peptide T11F (TCRVDHRGLTF), with sequence identical to a fragment of the constant region of human IgM, and most of its alanine-substituted derivatives proved to possess a significant candidacidal activity in vitro. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of T11F, D5A, the derivative most active in vitro, and F11A, characterized by a different conformation, was investigated in Galleria mellonella larvae infected with Candida albicans. A single injection of F11A and D5A derivatives, in contrast with T11F, led to a significant increase in survival of larvae injected with a lethal inoculum of C. albicans cells, in comparison with infected animals treated with saline. Peptide modulation of host immunity upon C. albicans infection was determined by hemocyte analysis and larval histology, highlighting a different immune stimulation by the studied peptides. F11A, particularly, was the most active in eliciting nodule formation, melanization and fat body activation, leading to a better control of yeast infection. Overall, the obtained data suggest a double role for F11A, able to simultaneously target the fungus and the host immune system, resulting in a more efficient pathogen clearance.
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Fungal Biofilms as a Valuable Target for the Discovery of Natural Products That Cope with the Resistance of Medically Important Fungi-Latest Findings. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10091053. [PMID: 34572635 PMCID: PMC8471798 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10091053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of new antifungal agents that target biofilms is an urgent need. Natural products, mainly from the plant kingdom, represent an invaluable source of these entities. The present review provides an update (2017-May 2021) on the available information on essential oils, propolis, extracts from plants, algae, lichens and microorganisms, compounds from different natural sources and nanosystems containing natural products with the capacity to in vitro or in vivo modulate fungal biofilms. The search yielded 42 articles; seven involved essential oils, two Brazilian propolis, six plant extracts and one of each, extracts from lichens and algae/cyanobacteria. Twenty articles deal with the antibiofilm effect of pure natural compounds, with 10 of them including studies of the mechanism of action and five dealing with natural compounds included in nanosystems. Thirty-seven manuscripts evaluated Candida spp. biofilms and two tested Fusarium and Cryptococcus spp. Only one manuscript involved Aspergillus fumigatus. From the data presented here, it is clear that the search of natural products with activity against fungal biofilms has been a highly active area of research in recent years. However, it also reveals the necessity of deepening the studies by (i) evaluating the effect of natural products on biofilms formed by the newly emerged and worrisome health-care associated fungi, C. auris, as well as on other non-albicans Candida spp., Cryptococcus sp. and filamentous fungi; (ii) elucidating the mechanisms of action of the most active natural products; (iii) increasing the in vivo testing.
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Zheng M, Wang R, Chen S, Zou Y, Yan L, Zhao L, Li X. Design, Synthesis and Antifungal Activity of Stapled Aurein1.2 Peptides. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:956. [PMID: 34439006 PMCID: PMC8389037 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10080956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Aurein1.2 is a 13-residue antimicrobial peptide secreted by the Australian tree frog Litoria aurea. In order to improve its stabilities, the helical contents and corresponding biological activities of Aurein1.2 (a series of stapled analogues) were synthesized, and their potential antifungal activities were evaluated. Not surprisingly, the stapled Aurein1.2 peptides showed higher proteolytic stability and helicity than the linear counterpart. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ten stapled peptides against six strains of common pathogenic fungi was determined by the microscale broth dilution method recommended by CLSI. Of them, Sau-1, Sau-2, Sau-5, and Sau-9 exhibited better inhibitory effects on the fungi than the linear peptide. These stapled Aurein1.2 peptides may serve as the leading compounds for further optimization and antifungal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjun Zheng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China;
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (R.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Ruina Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (R.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Si Chen
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China;
| | - Yan Zou
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (R.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Lan Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (R.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Linjing Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China;
| | - Xiang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; (R.W.); (Y.Z.)
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Dalla Lana DF, Kaminski TFA, Lavorato SN, Merkel S, Zanette RA, da Rosa PD, Staudt KJ, de Araújo BV, da Costa B, Quatrin PM, Bazana LCG, Ferreira FA, Caurio CFB, de Andrade SF, Alves RJ, Fuentefria AM. In vitro pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics modeling and efficacy against systemic candidiasis in Drosophila melanogaster of a bisaryloxypropanamine derivative. Med Mycol 2021; 59:58-66. [PMID: 32407486 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myaa030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of deaths due to systemic fungal infections is increasing alarmingly, which is aggravated by the limitations of traditional treatments and multidrug resistance. Therefore, the research and development of new therapeutic options against pathogenic fungi is an urgent need. To evaluate the fungicidal activity of a synthetic compound, 1,3-bis-(3,4-dichlorophenoxy)propan-2-aminium chloride (2j), through time-kill studies and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) modeling. The protective effect of the compound was also evaluated using the Drosophila melanogaster minihost model of candidiasis. Mathematical modeling of time-kill data of compound 2j was performed to obtain PD characteristics. Additionally, Toll-deficient D. melanogaster flies were infected with a Candida albicans strain and treated with 2j. We observed that compound 2j demonstrated a time- and dose-dependent fungicidal effect against Candida spp. and dermatophytes, even at low concentrations, and rapidly achieved kill rates reaching the maximum effect in less than one hour. The efficacy of the compound against systemic candidiasis in D. melanogaster flies was comparable to that achieved by fluconazole. These results support the potential of compound 2j as a systemic antifungal agent candidate and serve as a starting point for further studies involving mammalian animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiane Flores Dalla Lana
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Stefânia Neiva Lavorato
- Centro das Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Oeste da Bahia, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Simone Merkel
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Farmacologia e Terapêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Régis Adriel Zanette
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Farmacologia e Terapêutica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Priscila Dallé da Rosa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Keli Jaqueline Staudt
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Bibiana Verlindo de Araújo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina: Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Bárbara da Costa
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Priscilla Maciel Quatrin
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia Agrícola e do Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luana Candice Genz Bazana
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Felipe Alves Ferreira
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Cássia Ferreira Braz Caurio
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Saulo Fernandes de Andrade
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia Agrícola e do Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ricardo José Alves
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Meneghello Fuentefria
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia Agrícola e do Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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46
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Meagher RB, Lewis ZA, Ambati S, Lin X. Aiming for a bull's-eye: Targeting antifungals to fungi with dectin-decorated liposomes. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009699. [PMID: 34293050 PMCID: PMC8297870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, there are several million individuals with life-threatening invasive fungal diseases such as candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), and mucormycosis. The mortality rate for these diseases generally exceeds 40%. Annual medical costs to treat these invasive fungal diseases in the United States exceed several billion dollars. In addition to AIDS patients, the risks of invasive mycoses are increasingly found in immune-impaired individuals or in immunosuppressed patients following stem cell or organ transplant or implantation of medical devices. Current antifungal drug therapies are not meeting the challenge, because (1) at safe doses, they do not provide sufficient fungal clearance to prevent reemergence of infection; (2) most become toxic with extended use; (3) drug-resistant fungal isolates are emerging; and (4) only one new class of antifungal drugs has been approved for clinical use in the last 2 decades. DectiSomes represent a novel design of drug delivery to drastically increase drug efficacy. Antifungals packaged in liposomes are targeted specifically to where the pathogen is, through binding to the fungal cell walls or exopolysaccharide matrices using the carbohydrate recognition domains of pathogen receptors. Relative to untargeted liposomal drug, DectiSomes show order of magnitude increases in the binding to and killing of Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus in vitro and similarly improved efficacy in mouse models of pulmonary aspergillosis. DectiSomes have the potential to usher in a new antifungal drug treatment paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B. Meagher
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Zachary A. Lewis
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Suresh Ambati
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Xiaorong Lin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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47
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Zhang N, Tsang EP, Wang K, Fang J, Li Y, Zhou G, Fang Z. Iron-nitrogen co-doped carbon nanotubes decorated with Cu 2O possess enhanced electronic properties for effective peroxymonosulfate activation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 764:142813. [PMID: 33097246 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Exploiting the full potential of copper-based nanoparticles in the activation of peroxymonopersulfate (PMS) is a great challenge due to their insufficient dispersity and electronic properties. We report here a novel iron‑nitrogen co-doped carbon nanotube (FNC) modified with a Cu2O nanocomposite (Cu2O/FNC) that exhibits ultrahigh catalytic performance in the activation of PMS to degrade fluconazole (~95%). Catalytic performance evaluation illustrated that Cu2O/FNC also has wide pH applicability (3.0-11.0), long-term stability and excellent adaptability. In addition, luminescent bacteria toxicity tests confirm that Cu2O/FNC/PMS significantly reduced the acute biotoxicity of various recalcitrant pollutants (reduced by 45-83%). By identifying the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and catalytic performance for various pollutants, we propose that pollutants that interact weekly with activators are mostly destroyed by sulfate radicals and hydroxyl radicals, whilst both radical and non-radical routes were involved in the degradation of pollutants that were easily adsorbed. By modifying Cu2O with FNC, several crucial properties such as the specific surface area, surface defects, active sites and the charge transfer rate were significantly improved, leading to excellent catalytic performance for pollutant removal. Finally, a reasonable reaction mechanism is advanced for the fluconazole degradation pathway. This study not only develops a novel PMS oxidation system for fluconazole degradation, but also provides a new strategy to improve the reactivity and applicability of PMS activators by combining radical and non-radical activation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuanqin Zhang
- School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Technology Research Center for Ecological Management and Remediation of Water System, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Eric Pokeung Tsang
- Dept Sci & Environment Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 00852, China
| | - Kuang Wang
- School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Technology Research Center for Ecological Management and Remediation of Water System, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianzhang Fang
- School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yaowei Li
- School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guangying Zhou
- School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhanqiang Fang
- School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Technology Research Center for Ecological Management and Remediation of Water System, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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48
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“Metal-free” synthesis and antifungal activity of 3-thiocyanatopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines. Russ Chem Bull 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11172-021-3131-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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49
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Juvêncio da Silva L, Dias Barroso FD, Vieira LS, Carlos Mota DR, da Silva Firmino BK, Rocha da Silva C, de Farias Cabral VP, Cândido TM, Sá LGDAV, Barbosa da Silva WM, Silva J, Marinho ES, Cavalcanti BC, de Moraes MO, Júnior HVN, de Andrade Neto JB. Diazepam's antifungal activity in fluconazole-resistant Candida spp. and biofilm inhibition in C. albicans: evaluation of the relationship with the proteins ALS3 and SAP5. J Med Microbiol 2021; 70. [PMID: 33560202 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Candida spp. has been highlighted as one of the main etiological agents causing fungal infections, with Candida albicans being the most prominent, responsible for most cases of candidemia. Due to its capacity for invasion and tissue adhesion, it is associated with the formation of biofilms, mainly in the environment and hospital devices, decreasing the effectiveness of available treatments. The repositioning of drugs, which is characterized by the use of drugs already on the market for other purposes, together with molecular-docking methods can be used aiming at the faster development of new antifungals to combat micro-organisms. This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal effect of diazepam on mature C. albicans biofilms in vitro and its action on biofilm in formation, as well as its mechanism of action and interaction with structures related to the adhesion of C. albicans, ALS3 and SAP5. To determine the MIC, the broth microdilution test was used according to protocol M27-A3 (CLSI, 2008). In vitro biofilm formation tests were performed using 96-well plates, followed by molecular-docking protocols to analyse the binding agent interaction with ALS3 and SAP5 targets. The results indicate that diazepam has antimicrobial activity against planktonic cells of Candida spp. and C. albicans biofilms, interacting with important virulence factors related to biofilm formation (ALS3 and SAP5). In addition, treatment with diazepam triggered a series of events in C. albicans cells, such as loss of membrane integrity, mitochondrial depolarization and increased production of EROs, causing DNA damage and consequent cell apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisandra Juvêncio da Silva
- Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.,School of Pharmacy, Laboratory for Bioprospection of Antimicrobial Molecules (LABIMAN), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Fátima Daiana Dias Barroso
- Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.,School of Pharmacy, Laboratory for Bioprospection of Antimicrobial Molecules (LABIMAN), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Cecília Rocha da Silva
- Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.,School of Pharmacy, Laboratory for Bioprospection of Antimicrobial Molecules (LABIMAN), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Vitória Pessoa de Farias Cabral
- School of Pharmacy, Laboratory for Bioprospection of Antimicrobial Molecules (LABIMAN), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Thiago Mesquita Cândido
- Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.,School of Pharmacy, Laboratory for Bioprospection of Antimicrobial Molecules (LABIMAN), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Lívia Gurgel do Amaral Valente Sá
- Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.,School of Pharmacy, Laboratory for Bioprospection of Antimicrobial Molecules (LABIMAN), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | | | - Jacilene Silva
- Department of Chemistry, Group for Theoretical Chemistry and Electrochemistry (GQTE), State University of Ceará, Limoeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Emmanuel Silva Marinho
- Department of Chemistry, Group for Theoretical Chemistry and Electrochemistry (GQTE), State University of Ceará, Limoeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Bruno Coelho Cavalcanti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.,Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Manoel Odorico de Moraes
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.,Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Hélio Vitoriano Nobre Júnior
- Drug Research and Development Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.,School of Pharmacy, Laboratory for Bioprospection of Antimicrobial Molecules (LABIMAN), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - João Batista de Andrade Neto
- School of Pharmacy, Laboratory for Bioprospection of Antimicrobial Molecules (LABIMAN), Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.,Christus University Center (UNICHRISTUS), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
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50
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Seki Kioshima E, de Souza Bonfim de Mendonça P, de Melo Teixeira M, Grenier Capoci IR, Amaral A, Vilugron Rodrigues-Vendramini FA, Lauton Simões B, Rodrigues Abadio AK, Fernandes Matos L, Soares Felipe MS. One Century of Study: What We Learned about Paracoccidioides and How This Pathogen Contributed to Advances in Antifungal Therapy. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:106. [PMID: 33540749 PMCID: PMC7913102 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a notable fungal infection restricted to Latin America. Since the first description of the disease by Lutz up to the present day, Brazilian researchers have contributed to the understanding of the life cycle of this pathogen and provided the possibility of new targets for antifungal therapy based on the structural and functional genomics of Paracoccidioides. In this context, in silico approaches have selected molecules that act on specific targets, such as the thioredoxin system, with promising antifungal activity against Paracoccidioides. Some of these are already in advanced development stages. In addition, the application of nanostructured systems has addressed issues related to the high toxicity of conventional PCM therapy. Thus, the contribution of molecular biology and biotechnology to the advances achieved is unquestionable. However, it is still necessary to transcend the boundaries of synthetic chemistry, pharmaco-technics, and pharmacodynamics, aiming to turn promising molecules into newly available drugs for the treatment of fungal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Seki Kioshima
- Program in Biosciences and Pathophysiology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa (UEM), Maringa, Parana 87020-900, Brazil; (P.d.S.B.d.M.); (I.R.G.C.); (F.A.V.R.-V.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Patrícia de Souza Bonfim de Mendonça
- Program in Biosciences and Pathophysiology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa (UEM), Maringa, Parana 87020-900, Brazil; (P.d.S.B.d.M.); (I.R.G.C.); (F.A.V.R.-V.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Marcus de Melo Teixeira
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasilia, Distrito Federal 70910-900, Brazil;
| | - Isis Regina Grenier Capoci
- Program in Biosciences and Pathophysiology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa (UEM), Maringa, Parana 87020-900, Brazil; (P.d.S.B.d.M.); (I.R.G.C.); (F.A.V.R.-V.); (B.L.S.)
| | - André Amaral
- Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil;
| | - Franciele Abigail Vilugron Rodrigues-Vendramini
- Program in Biosciences and Pathophysiology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa (UEM), Maringa, Parana 87020-900, Brazil; (P.d.S.B.d.M.); (I.R.G.C.); (F.A.V.R.-V.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Bruna Lauton Simões
- Program in Biosciences and Pathophysiology, Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringa (UEM), Maringa, Parana 87020-900, Brazil; (P.d.S.B.d.M.); (I.R.G.C.); (F.A.V.R.-V.); (B.L.S.)
| | - Ana Karina Rodrigues Abadio
- Faculty of Agricultural Social Sciences, Mato Grosso State University, Nova Mutum, Mato Grosso 78450-000, Brazil;
| | - Larissa Fernandes Matos
- Faculty of Ceilandia, University of Brasília (UnB), Brasília, Distrito Federal 72220-275, Brazil;
- Program in Microbial Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Maria Sueli Soares Felipe
- Program of Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Brasilia, Brasília 70790-160, Brazil;
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