Researchers identified an agent that displayed fungicidal potency in the laboratory setting against two of the most common human fungal pathogens, according to a study published in the journal mSphere.
For the study, the research team probed an open-source drug discovery source consisting of more than 400 drug-like molecules for agents that could operate against Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans. The agent — dubbed MMV688271 — was found to weaken the plasma membrane and cell wall of C. neoformans. The agent has previously been shown to be nontoxic in mammals, making it a potential avenue for future antifungal treatments.
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"There is a desperate need for new antifungal drugs and this kind of activity, open source partnership and screening, is a great way to move forward with the discovery of potential new drugs," said lead author Jim Kronstad, PhD, professor and director of the Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
C. neoformans and C. albicans account for approximately 1.4 million infections.
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