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Drug combinations against Mucor irregularis in vitro
Shuzhen Zhang1, Ruoyu Li, Jin Yu
1Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Peking University First Hospital, Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
|April 17, 2013
Summary
Caspofungin demonstrated significant synergistic effects when combined with amphotericin B, posaconazole, or itraconazole against Mucor irregularis. These antifungal combinations show promise for treating Mucor irregularis infections.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Mucor irregularis is an emerging fungal pathogen causing infections with high mortality.
- Limited effective treatment options exist for Mucor irregularis infections.
- In vitro antifungal susceptibility testing is crucial for guiding treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro synergistic activity of terbinafine and caspofungin in combination with amphotericin B, posaconazole, and itraconazole against Mucor irregularis.
- To identify potent antifungal combinations for potential therapeutic use.
Main Methods:
- In vitro testing of drug combinations against 18 Mucor irregularis isolates.
- Assessed synergistic, additive, or antagonistic effects of drug pairings.
- Utilized standard antifungal susceptibility testing methodologies.
Main Results:
- Caspofungin exhibited high synergy rates (99.4-100%) with amphotericin B, posaconazole, and itraconazole.
- Terbinafine showed lower synergy rates (33.3-44.4%) with the same azole and polyene antifungals.
- No antagonistic interactions were observed for any combination tested.
Conclusions:
- Caspofungin-based combination therapies are highly effective in vitro against Mucor irregularis.
- These findings support the clinical investigation of caspofungin combinations for treating Mucor irregularis infections.
- Further research is warranted to explore the clinical efficacy of these synergistic antifungal combinations.
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