Researchers at the University of São Paulo have discovered that brilacidin, a new drug tested for various diseases, including COVID-19, can kill drug-resistant strains of fungi when combined with certain antifungals. The drug’s potential application has been patented and is reported in an article published in Nature Communications. The researchers explored 1,400 chemical compounds before identifying brilacidin. Combining brilacidin with antifungals caspofungin or voriconazole was found to kill resistant strains of fungal species that cause infections in humans, such as Aspergillus fumigatus. Brilacidin alone also blocked the growth of A. fumigatus and the development of fungal keratitis in an animal model.
A study conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil shows that brilacidin, a new drug tested for treatment of diseases ranging from bacterial skin infections to COVID-19, can kill drug-resistant strains of fungi when combined with two classes of antifungals available on the market.
This potential application of the drug has been patented and is reported in an article published in Nature Communications. It was discovered by researchers at the Ribeirão Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCFRP-USP) supported by FAPESP.
The problem of drug resistance is a challenge recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), but developing new drugs is costly and time-consuming. “For this reason, we set out to identify the antifungal activity of known chemical molecules that had not been studied for their effects on fungal growth control. In this case, we explored 1,400 chemical compounds until we arrived at brilacidin,” said Thaila Fernanda dos Reis, first author of the article and a postdoctoral fellow at FCFRP-USP.
Thanks to the use of several different methods, the researchers concluded that combining brilacidin with either of two antifungals (caspofungin or voriconazole) could kill resistant strains of several fungal species that cause infections in humans, such as Aspergillus fumigatus, which causes invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.
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Aspergillosis is a common infection in intensive care units (ICUs), with mortality rates of between 60% and 90%. It also affects patients with impaired immune systems, such as those undergoing treatment for cancer (read more at: https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/new-drug-kills-resistant-fungi-in-combination-with-other-antifungals-375987 and ).
In addition to the combinations with antifungals for lung infections, brilacidin alone blocked growth of A. fumigatus and development of the disease in an animal model of fungal keratitis, an infection of the cornea that affects 1 million-2 million people per year worldwide, especially in tropical countries with intense agricultural activity, as it frequently results from corneal abrasion by plant debris. In…