Skip to main content

Unique applications of novel antifungal drug combinations

Publication ,  Journal Article
Onyewu, C; Heitman, J
Published in: Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
January 1, 2007

Candida albicans is a commensal fungal organism that can over-proliferate and cause disease in the appropriate host setting. C. albicans can cause irritating superficial skin and mucocutaneous infections such as diaper rash and vaginal yeast infections, respectively. In immunocompromised hosts, these infections can progress to disseminated disease in which the organism enters the blood and colonizes multiple organs. Consequently, Candida infections result in a considerable amount of morbidity and mortality every year. Most modern-day antifungal drugs block ergosterol biosynthesis. Several of these agents are fungistatic and do not kill the fungal cell, thus facilitating the emergence of drug-resistant species, which further complicate therapy. Alternatively, some of the most effective antifungal drugs are too toxic for continuous use or can only be administered intravenously. The ideal antifungal drug would be non-toxic, fungicidal, and amenable to self-administration. Previous studies have demonstrated that specific commercially available drugs from two unrelated drug classes (calcineurin inhibitors and ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors) act synergistically to kill Candida by targeting distinct molecular pathways in the organism. Calcineurin inhibitors are immunosuppressive agents, so systemic administration of these drugs would be counter-intuitive for treatment of already immunocompromised individuals. However, this drug combination can be applied to topical antifungal therapies for a variety of cutaneous and mucocutaneous fungal infections that afflict a diverse population, including immunocompromised patients. © 2007 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry

DOI

ISSN

1871-5214

Publication Date

January 1, 2007

Volume

6

Issue

1

Start / End Page

3 / 15

Related Subject Headings

  • Microbiology
  • 3214 Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
  • 1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Onyewu, C., & Heitman, J. (2007). Unique applications of novel antifungal drug combinations. Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 6(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.2174/187152107779314142
Onyewu, C., and J. Heitman. “Unique applications of novel antifungal drug combinations.” Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 6, no. 1 (January 1, 2007): 3–15. https://doi.org/10.2174/187152107779314142.
Onyewu C, Heitman J. Unique applications of novel antifungal drug combinations. Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry. 2007 Jan 1;6(1):3–15.
Onyewu, C., and J. Heitman. “Unique applications of novel antifungal drug combinations.” Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 6, no. 1, Jan. 2007, pp. 3–15. Scopus, doi:10.2174/187152107779314142.
Onyewu C, Heitman J. Unique applications of novel antifungal drug combinations. Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry. 2007 Jan 1;6(1):3–15.

Published In

Anti-Infective Agents in Medicinal Chemistry

DOI

ISSN

1871-5214

Publication Date

January 1, 2007

Volume

6

Issue

1

Start / End Page

3 / 15

Related Subject Headings

  • Microbiology
  • 3214 Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
  • 1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences