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Reactive oxygen species-inducing antifungal agents and their activity against fungal biofilms

Nicolas Delattin1, Bruno P A Cammue, Karin Thevissen

  • 1Centre of Microbial & Plant Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.

Future Medicinal Chemistry
|December 24, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Invasive fungal infections are deadly, and resistance is a major issue. This review explores antifungal drugs that combat fungal biofilms by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Invasive fungal infections cause high mortality (20-90%) due to opportunistic pathogens like Candida albicans.
  • Fungal resistance to antifungals arises from genotypic (resistant strains) and phenotypic (biofilms) factors.
  • Biofilms are critical in invasive fungal infections, yet few antifungals are effective against them.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review antimycotics and novel compounds that induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in fungal planktonic and biofilm cells.
  • To discuss strategies for enhancing the antibiofilm activity of ROS-inducing antifungals.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing studies on antimycotics and fungal biofilms.
  • Analysis of the mechanism of action of ROS-inducing antifungal compounds.
  • Exploration of synergistic strategies to improve antibiofilm efficacy.

Main Results:

  • Several classes of antimycotics, including azoles, echinocandins, and amphotericin B, induce ROS in fungal cells.
  • ROS induction is a key mechanism for the antibiofilm activity of certain antifungals.
  • The effectiveness of these antifungals against biofilms is limited but significant.

Conclusions:

  • Antimycotics that induce ROS represent a promising avenue for combating fungal biofilms.
  • Further research into enhancing ROS-mediated antifungal activity is crucial for developing new treatments.
  • Targeting ROS production offers a potential strategy to overcome antifungal resistance in biofilms.

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