Drug Repurposing in Medical Mycology: Identification of Compounds as Potential Antifungals to Overcome the Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Fungi
Immunodepression, whether due to HIV infection or organ transplantation, has increased human vulnerability to fungal infections. These conditions have created an optimal environment for the emergence of opportunistic infections, which is concomitant to the increase in antifungal resistance. The use...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceuticals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/14/5/488 |
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| author | Lucie Peyclit Hanane Yousfi Jean-Marc Rolain Fadi Bittar |
| author_facet | Lucie Peyclit Hanane Yousfi Jean-Marc Rolain Fadi Bittar |
| author_sort | Lucie Peyclit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Immunodepression, whether due to HIV infection or organ transplantation, has increased human vulnerability to fungal infections. These conditions have created an optimal environment for the emergence of opportunistic infections, which is concomitant to the increase in antifungal resistance. The use of conventional antifungal drugs as azoles and polyenes can lead to clinical failure, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Difficulties related to treating fungal infections combined with the time required to develop new drugs, require urgent consideration of other therapeutic alternatives. Drug repurposing is one of the most promising and rapid solutions that the scientific and medical community can turn to, with low costs and safety advantages. To treat life-threatening resistant fungal infections, drug repurposing has led to the consideration of well-known and potential molecules as a last-line therapy. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of current antifungal compounds and their main resistance mechanisms, following by an overview of the antifungal activity of non-traditional antimicrobial drugs. We provide their eventual mechanisms of action and the synergistic combinations that improve the activity of current antifungal treatments. Finally, we discuss drug repurposing for the main emerging multidrug resistant (MDR) fungus, including the <i>Candida auris</i>, <i>Aspergillus</i> or <i>Cryptococcus</i> species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:13:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-924fd6cfd8d7438a81059511a80037e3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8247 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:13:24Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceuticals |
| spelling | doaj.art-924fd6cfd8d7438a81059511a80037e32023-11-21T20:36:10ZengMDPI AGPharmaceuticals1424-82472021-05-0114548810.3390/ph14050488Drug Repurposing in Medical Mycology: Identification of Compounds as Potential Antifungals to Overcome the Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant FungiLucie Peyclit0Hanane Yousfi1Jean-Marc Rolain2Fadi Bittar3Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, FranceAix Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, FranceAix Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, FranceAix Marseille Univ, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, 13005 Marseille, FranceImmunodepression, whether due to HIV infection or organ transplantation, has increased human vulnerability to fungal infections. These conditions have created an optimal environment for the emergence of opportunistic infections, which is concomitant to the increase in antifungal resistance. The use of conventional antifungal drugs as azoles and polyenes can lead to clinical failure, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Difficulties related to treating fungal infections combined with the time required to develop new drugs, require urgent consideration of other therapeutic alternatives. Drug repurposing is one of the most promising and rapid solutions that the scientific and medical community can turn to, with low costs and safety advantages. To treat life-threatening resistant fungal infections, drug repurposing has led to the consideration of well-known and potential molecules as a last-line therapy. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of current antifungal compounds and their main resistance mechanisms, following by an overview of the antifungal activity of non-traditional antimicrobial drugs. We provide their eventual mechanisms of action and the synergistic combinations that improve the activity of current antifungal treatments. Finally, we discuss drug repurposing for the main emerging multidrug resistant (MDR) fungus, including the <i>Candida auris</i>, <i>Aspergillus</i> or <i>Cryptococcus</i> species.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/14/5/488drug repurposingantifungalsrepositioningyeastsemerging fungimultidrug resistance |
| spellingShingle | Lucie Peyclit Hanane Yousfi Jean-Marc Rolain Fadi Bittar Drug Repurposing in Medical Mycology: Identification of Compounds as Potential Antifungals to Overcome the Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Fungi Pharmaceuticals drug repurposing antifungals repositioning yeasts emerging fungi multidrug resistance |
| title | Drug Repurposing in Medical Mycology: Identification of Compounds as Potential Antifungals to Overcome the Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Fungi |
| title_full | Drug Repurposing in Medical Mycology: Identification of Compounds as Potential Antifungals to Overcome the Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Fungi |
| title_fullStr | Drug Repurposing in Medical Mycology: Identification of Compounds as Potential Antifungals to Overcome the Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Fungi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Drug Repurposing in Medical Mycology: Identification of Compounds as Potential Antifungals to Overcome the Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Fungi |
| title_short | Drug Repurposing in Medical Mycology: Identification of Compounds as Potential Antifungals to Overcome the Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant Fungi |
| title_sort | drug repurposing in medical mycology identification of compounds as potential antifungals to overcome the emergence of multidrug resistant fungi |
| topic | drug repurposing antifungals repositioning yeasts emerging fungi multidrug resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/14/5/488 |
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