The Potential of Dutasteride for Treating Multidrug-Resistant Candida auris Infection

Area of Science:

• Medical Mycology
• Drug Discovery
• Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

• Emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen *Candida auris* causes severe candidiasis.
• Urgent need for novel antifungal agents to combat resistant *C. auris* infections.
• Drug repurposing offers a cost-effective strategy for identifying new therapeutic options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify clinically approved drugs with anti-*C. auris* activity using drug repurposing.
• To evaluate dutasteride, a non-antifungal drug, for its efficacy against *C. auris*.
• To investigate the mechanism of action of dutasteride against *C. auris*.

Main Methods:

• High-throughput virtual screening of 1,3-beta-glucanosyltransferase inhibitors.
• Analysis of drug complex stability and metabolite interactions.
• In vitro testing of dutasteride against *C. auris* clinical isolates, including biofilm formation and planktonic growth assays.
• Microscopic examination of dutasteride-treated *C. auris*.

Main Results:

• Dutasteride identified as a potent inhibitor of *C. auris* growth and biofilm formation.
• Significant reduction in planktonic growth and disruption of cell membrane integrity observed.
• Microscopic analysis revealed cell lysis and surface damage in treated *C. auris*.
• Dutasteride demonstrated efficacy against *C. auris* isolates from Saudi Arabian patients.

Conclusions:

• Repurposed dutasteride exhibits significant anti-*C. auris* activity.
• Dutasteride is a potential therapeutic agent for treating difficult candidiasis.
• This finding may help reduce the transmission of nosocomial infections caused by *C. auris*.