A marine microbiome antifungal targets urgent-threat drug-resistant fungi
New antifungal drugs are urgently needed to address the emergence and transcontinental spread of fungal infectious diseases, such as pandrug-resistant Candida auris. Leveraging the microbiomes of marine animals and cutting-edge metabolomics and genomic tools, we identified encouraging lead antifungal molecules with in vivo efficacy. The most promising lead, turbinmicin, displays potent in vitro and mouse-model efficacy toward multiple-drug–resistant fungal pathogens, exhibits a wide safety index, and functions through a fungal-specific mode of action, targeting Sec14 of the vesicular trafficking pathway. The efficacy, safety, and mode of action distinct from other antifungal drugs make turbinmicin a highly promising antifungal drug lead to help address devastating global fungal pathogens such as C. auris.
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Authors: Zhang, F., Zhao, M., Braun, D. R., Ericksen, S. S., Piotrowski, J. S., Nelson, J., Peng, J., Ananiev, G. E., Chanana, S., Barns, K., Fossen, J., Sanchez, H., Chevrette, M. G., Guzei, I. A., Zhao, C., Guo, L., Tang, W., Currie, C. R., Rajski, S. R., Audhya Tags: Chemistry, Medicine, Diseases reports Source Type: news