scholarly journals Evaluation of bisphenylthiazoles as a promising class for combating multidrug-resistant fungal infections

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0258465
Author(s):  
Mohamed Hagras ◽  
Nader S. Abutaleb ◽  
Ahmed M. Sayed ◽  
Ehab A. Salama ◽  
Mohamed N. Seleem ◽  
...  

To minimize the intrinsic toxicity of the antibacterial agent hydrazinyloxadiazole 1, the hydrazine moiety was replaced with ethylenediamine (compound 7). This replacement generated a potent antifungal agent with no antibacterial activity. Notably, use of a 1,2-diaminocyclohexane moiety, as a conformationally-restricted isostere for ethylenediamine, potentiated the antifungal activity in both the cis and trans forms of N-(5-(2-([1,1’-biphenyl]-4-yl)-4-methylthiazol-5-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)cyclohexane-1,2-diamine (compounds 16 and 17). Both compounds 16 and 17 were void of any antibacterial activity; nonetheless, they showed equipotent antifungal activity in vitro to that of the most potent approved antifungal agent, amphotericin B. The promising antifungal effects of compounds 16 and 17 were maintained when assessed against an additional panel of 26 yeast and mold clinical isolates, including the Candida auris and C. krusei. Furthermore, compound 17 showed superior activity to amphotericin B in vitro against Candida glabrata and Cryptococcus gattii. Additionally, neither compound inhibited the normal human microbiota, and both possessed excellent safety profiles and were 16 times more tolerable than amphotericin B.

Author(s):  
Tsidiso G. Maphanga ◽  
Serisha D. Naicker ◽  
Stanford Kwenda ◽  
Jose F. Muñoz ◽  
Erika van Schalkwyk ◽  
...  

Introduction Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen endemic in South African hospitals. Materials and methods We tested bloodstream C. auris isolates that were submitted to a reference laboratory for national laboratory-based surveillance for candidaemia, 2016-2017. We confirmed species identification by phenotypic/molecular methods. We tested susceptibility to amphotericin B, anidulafungin, caspofungin, micafungin, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, fluconazole and flucytosine using broth microdilution (BMD) and Etest. We interpreted minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) using tentative breakpoints. We sequenced the genomes of a subset of isolates and compared to the C. auris B8441 reference strain. Results Of 400 C. auris isolates, 361 (90%) were resistant to at least one antifungal agent, 339 (85%) to fluconazole alone (MIC of ≥32 mg/L), 19 (5%) to fluconazole and amphotericin B (MIC ≥2 mg/L) and one (0.3%) to amphotericin B alone. Two (0.5%) isolates from a single patient were pan-resistant (fluconazole, amphotericin B, echinocandins). Of 93 isolates selected for whole genome sequencing, 78 clustered in clade III including the pan-resistant isolates, 13 in clade I and two in clade IV. Eighty-four of these (91%) were resistant to at least one antifungal agent; both resistant and susceptible isolates had mutations. The common substitutions identified across the different clades were VF125AL, Y132F, K177R, N335S, E343D in ERG11 ; N647T in MRR1; A651P, A657V, S195G in TAC1b; S639P in FKS1; and S58T in ERG3 genes. Conclusions Most South African C. auris isolates were resistant to azoles, though resistance to polyenes and echinocandins was less common. We observed mutations in resistance genes even in phenotypically-susceptible isolates.


Author(s):  
Janet Herrada ◽  
Ahmed Gamal ◽  
Lisa Long ◽  
Sonia P. Sanchez ◽  
Thomas S. McCormick ◽  
...  

Antifungal activity of AmBisome against Candida auris was determined in vitro and in vivo. AmBisome showed MIC50 and MIC90 values of 1 and 2 μg/mL, respectively. Unlike conventional amphotericin B, significant in vivo efficacy was observed in the AmBisome 7.5 mg/kg -treated group in survival and reduction of kidney tissue fungal burden compared to the untreated group. Our data shows that AmBisome shows significant antifungal activity against C. auris in vitro as well as in vivo.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Bidaud ◽  
F. Botterel ◽  
A. Chowdhary ◽  
E. Dannaoui

ABSTRACT Candida auris is an emerging, multidrug-resistant pathogen responsible for invasive hospital-acquired infections. Flucytosine is an effective anti-Candida species drug, but which cannot be used as a monotherapy because of the risk of development of resistant mutants during treatment. It is, therefore, noteworthy to test possible combinations with flucytosine that may have a synergistic interaction. In this study, we determined the in vitro interaction between flucytosine and amphotericin B, micafungin, or voriconazole. These combinations have been tested against 15 C. auris isolates. The MIC ranges (geometric mean [Gmean]) of flucytosine, amphotericin B, micafungin, and voriconazole were 0.125 to 1 μg/ml (0.42 μg/ml), 0.25 to 1 μg/ml (0.66 μg/ml), 0.125 to 0.5 μg/ml (0.3 μg/ml), and 0.03 to 4 μg/ml (1.05 μg/ml), respectively. When tested in combination, indifferent interactions were mostly observed with fractional inhibitory concentration index values from 0.5 to 1, 0.31 to 1.01, and 0.5 to 1.06 for the combinations of flucytosine with amphotericin B, micafungin, and voriconazole, respectively. A synergy was observed for the strain CBS 10913 from Japan. No antagonism was observed for any combination. The combination of flucytosine with amphotericin B or micafungin may be relevant for the treatment of C. auris infections.


Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 539
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Ghannoum ◽  
Maiken Cavling Arendrup ◽  
Vishnu P. Chaturvedi ◽  
Shawn R. Lockhart ◽  
Thomas S. McCormick ◽  
...  

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen reported worldwide. Infections due to C. auris are usually nosocomial and associated with high rates of fluconazole resistance and mortality. Echinocandins are utilized as the first-line treatment. However, echinocandins are only available intravenously and are associated with increasingly higher rates of resistance by C. auris. Thus, a need exists for novel treatments that demonstrate potent activity against C. auris. Ibrexafungerp is a first-in-class triterpenoid antifungal agent. Similar to echinocandins, ibrexafungerp inhibits (1→3)-β-D-glucan synthase, a key component of the fungal cell wall, resulting in fungicidal activity against Candida spp. Ibrexafungerp demonstrates broad in vitro activity against various Candida spp. including C. auris and C. auris isolates with fks mutations. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50 and MIC90) values in >400 C. auris isolates were 0.5 μg/mL and 1.0 μg/mL, respectively. Clinical results were reported for two patients with invasive candidiasis or candidemia due to C. auris treated during the CARES (Candidiasis Caused by Candida Auris) trial, an ongoing open-label study. These patients experienced a complete response after treatment with ibrexafungerp. Thus, ibrexafungerp represents a promising new antifungal agent for treating C. auris infections.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 171814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Shu ◽  
Tengfei Li ◽  
Wen Yang ◽  
Duo Li ◽  
Shunli Ji ◽  
...  

The present work is focused on the design and development of novel amphotericin B (AmB)-conjugated biocompatible and biodegradable polypeptide hydrogels to improve the antifungal activity. Using three kinds of promoting self-assembly groups (2-naphthalene acetic acid (Nap), naproxen (Npx) and dexamethasone (Dex)) and polypeptide sequence (Phe-Phe-Asp-Lys-Tyr, FFDKY), we successfully synthesized the Nap-FFDK(AmB)Y gels, Npx-FFDK(AmB)Y gels and Dex-FFDK(AmB)Y gels. The AmB-conjugated hydrogelators are highly soluble in different aqueous solutions. The cryo-transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy micrographs of hydrogels afford nanofibres with a width of 20–50 nm. Powder X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrate that the crystalline structures of the AmB and Dex are changed into amorphous structures after the formation of hydrogels. Circular dichroism spectra of the solution of blank carriers and the corresponding drug deliveries further help elucidate the molecular arrangement in gel phase, indicating the existence of turn features. The in vitro drug releases suggest that the AmB-conjugated hydrogels are suitable as drug-controlled release vehicles for hydrophobic drugs. The antifungal effect of AmB-conjugated hydrogels significantly exhibits the antifungal activity against Candida albicans . The results of the present study indicated that the AmB-conjugated hydrogels are suitable carriers for poorly water soluble drugs and for enhancement of therapeutic efficacy of antifungal drugs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S82-S82
Author(s):  
Hamid Badalii

Abstract Background Blood stream infections due to Candida auris are related to a high mortality rate and treatment failure attributed to resistance to fluconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B, and caspofungin. Thus, the precise identification of agents and in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing is highly recommended. Novel therapeutic strategies, such as combination therapy, are essential for increasing the efficacy and reducing the toxicity of antifungal agents. Therefore, we investigated the in vitro combination of micafungin plus voriconazole against multidrug-resistant C. auris isolated from cases of candidemia. Methods The in vitro interactions between echinocandins and azoles were determined against ten multidrug-resistant Candida auris strains by using a microdilution checkerboard technique. Results Results revealed that MICs range for voriconazole and micafungin were 0.5–8 and 0.25–8 mg/l, respectively. The checkerboard analysis revealed that the combination of micafungin with voriconazole exhibited synergistic activity against all 10 multidrug-resistant C. auris isolates (FICI range: 0.15–0.5). Overall, no antagonistic effects were observed in this experiments. Conclusion In vitro studies have previously suggested that among azoles isavuconazole and posaconazole are more active drugs against C. auris. In addition, the majority of isolates reported are resistant to fluconazole. Remarkably, unsuccessful treatment of C. auris infections with fluconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B, caspofungin, and anidulafungin has been already on record. Here in we demonstrates that interaction between micafungin with voriconazole exhibited synergistic activity against multidrug-resistant C. auris isolates. It seems that lower concentrations of drugs cause fewer side-effects and improve the treatment outcomes. However, in vivo studies with suitable animal models of C. auris infection is highly recommended. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 2647-2662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongmei Xu ◽  
Fangfang Teng ◽  
Feilong Zhou ◽  
Li Zhu ◽  
Yi Wen ◽  
...  

Aim: To encapsulate amphotericin B (AmB) with reduced toxicity and comparable activity. Results & methodology: The α-linolenic acid (ALA)-modified monomethoxy polyethylene glycol-g-PEI-g-ALA conjugate was employed to prepare AmB-loaded micelles (AmB-M). In vitro activity and release behavior of AmB-M were investigated. AmB-M enhanced AmB's water-solubility to 1.2 mg/ml, showing good storage stability. AmB-M could achieve a sustained and slow release of AmB, low hemolysis activity and negligible kidney toxicity when compared with commercial AmB injection. Antifungal activity and biofilm inhibition experiments confirmed that the antifungal activity of AmB-M against Candida albicans was similar to that of AmB injection. Conclusion: Monomethoxy polyethylene glycol-g-PEI-g-ALA micelles could be a preferable choice to treat systemic fungal infections as an efficient drug delivery system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
YanChun Zhu ◽  
Shannon Kilburn ◽  
Mili Kapoor ◽  
Sudha Chaturvedi ◽  
Karen Joy Shaw ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT An ongoing Candida auris outbreak in the New York metropolitan area is the largest recorded to date in North America. Laboratory surveillance revealed NY C. auris isolates are resistant to fluconazole, with variable resistance to other currently used broad-spectrum antifungal drugs, and that several isolates are panresistant. Thus, there is an urgent need for new drugs with a novel mechanism of action to combat the resistance challenge. Manogepix (MGX) is a first-in-class agent that targets the fungal Gwt1 enzyme. The prodrug fosmanogepix is currently in phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of fungal infections. We evaluated the susceptibility of 200 New York C. auris isolates to MGX and 10 comparator drugs using CLSI methodology. MGX demonstrated lower MICs than comparators (MIC50 and MIC90, 0.03 mg/liter; range, 0.004 to 0.06 mg/liter). The local epidemiological cutoff value (ECV) for MGX indicated all C. auris isolates were within the population of wild-type (WT) strains; 0.06 mg/liter defines the upper limit of wild type (UL-WT). MGX was 8- to 32-fold more active than the echinocandins, 16- to 64-fold more active than the azoles, and 64-fold more active than amphotericin B. No differences were found in the MGX or comparators’ MIC50, MIC90, or geometric mean (GM) values when subsets of clinical, surveillance, and environmental isolates were evaluated. The range of MGX MIC values for six C. auris panresistant isolates was 0.008 to 0.015 mg/liter, and the median and mode MIC values were 0.015 mg/liter, demonstrating that MGX retains activity against these isolates. These data support further clinical evaluation of fosmanogepix for the treatment of C. auris infections, including highly resistant isolates.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 771
Author(s):  
Renátó Kovács ◽  
Fruzsina Nagy ◽  
Zoltán Tóth ◽  
Lajos Forgács ◽  
Liliána Tóth ◽  
...  

Candida auris is a potential multidrug-resistant pathogen able to persist on indwelling devices as a biofilm, which serve as a source of catheter-associated infections. Neosartorya fischeri antifungal protein 2 (NFAP2) is a cysteine-rich, cationic protein with potent anti-Candida activity. We studied the in vitro activity of NFAP2 alone and in combination with fluconazole, amphotericin B, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin against C. auris biofilms. The nature of interactions was assessed utilizing the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI), a Bliss independence model, and LIVE/DEAD viability assay. NFAP2 exerted synergy with all tested antifungals with FICIs ranging between 0.312–0.5, 0.155–0.5, 0.037–0.375, 0.064–0.375, and 0.064–0.375 for fluconazole, amphotericin B, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin, respectively. These results were confirmed using a Bliss model, where NFAP2 produced 17.54 μM2%, 2.16 μM2%, 33.31 μM2%, 10.72 μM2%, and 111.19 μM2% cumulative synergy log volume in combination with fluconazole, amphotericin B, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin, respectively. In addition, biofilms exposed to echinocandins (32 mg/L) showed significant cell death in the presence of NFAP2 (128 mg/L). Our study shows that NFAP2 displays strong potential as a novel antifungal compound in alternative therapies to combat C. auris biofilms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 378
Author(s):  
Ourania Georgacopoulos ◽  
Natalie S. Nunnally ◽  
Eric M. Ransom ◽  
Derek Law ◽  
Mike Birch ◽  
...  

Olorofim is a novel antifungal drug that belongs to the orotomide drug class which inhibits fungal dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), thus halting pyrimidine biosynthesis and ultimately DNA synthesis, cell growth and division. It is being developed at a time when many invasive fungal infections exhibit antifungal resistance or have limited treatment options. The goal of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effectiveness of olorofim against a large collection of recently isolated, clinically relevant American mold isolates. In vitro antifungal activity was determined for 246 azole-susceptible Aspergillus fumigatus isolates, five A. fumigatus with TR34/L98H-mediated resistance, 19 Rhizopus species isolates, 21 Fusarium species isolates, and one isolate each of six other species of molds. Olorofim minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were compared to antifungal susceptibility testing profiles for amphotericin B, anidulafungin, caspofungin, isavuconazole, itraconazole, micafungin, posaconazole, and voriconazole. Olorofim MICs were significantly lower than those of the echinocandin and azole drug classes and amphotericin B. A. fumigatus wild type and resistant isolates shared the same MIC50 = 0.008 μg/mL. In non-Aspergillus susceptible isolates (MIC ≤ 2 μg/mL), the geometric mean (GM) MIC to olorofim was 0.54 μg/mL with a range of 0.015–2 μg/mL. Olorofim had no antifungal activity (MIC ≥ 2 μg/mL) against 10% of the collection (31 in 297), including some isolates from Rhizopus spp. and Fusarium spp. Olorofim showed promising activity against A. fumigatus and other molds regardless of acquired azole resistance.


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