Target sites of new anti-Candida albicands agents
- Author:
Rong-Mei LIANG
1
Author Information
1. Department of Pharmacology
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:
Academic Journal of Second Military Medical University
2006;27(9):1006-1010
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
With the wide use of azoles, drug tolerance and cross tolerance of Candida albicands has seriously hampered the clinical treatments of Candida albicands. New antifungal agents (potent and effective) have been developed over the past years based on the discovery of many new target sites of Candida albicands. For example, Echinocandins (caspofungin and micafungin), aiming at the cell wall of Candida albicands, showed strong antifungal activities to fluconazole resistant candidas and fungal biofilm. Moreover, because β-glucan synthase does not exist on the cell membrane of mammalian cells, Echinocandins has a low toxicity and a promising clinical future. Though the mechanism of Histatin (targeting fungal membrane) is not clear, it has strong activity not only on candida resistant of polyene and azole, but also to Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei and Cryptococcus neoformans. Berberine and Ocimum gratissimum L. were also found to have prominent anti-fungi activities. Berberine extract can intensively inhibit 24-SMT in a dose-depended manner; besides, it has more potent inhibitory activity against the growth of mycelia than against that of yeast. Various new methods can be used to increase the susceptibility of Candida albicands to antifungal agents, such as altering fungi membrane composition, changing some genes, adopting the photodynamic inactivation method, employing hypersensitization agents and combining antifungal agents. This article reviews the newly-developed antifungal agents and newly-proposed target sites of Candida albicands.
