Abstract
New antifungals are needed in the medicine because of more aggressive and invasive diagnostic and therapeutic methods used, rapid emergence of resistant and new opportunistic fungi, increasing number of patients suffering from immunosuppressive situations e.g., AIDS, transplantation, cancer, etc. Several classes of new antifungal agents are discussed here including some new members of known families. Voriconazole, posaconazole and ravuconazole, are novel triazoles that inhibit the ergosterol synthesis. These drugs overcome problems associated with the ineffectivity of fluconazole against some Aspergillus spp. or the variable bioavailability of itraconazole. Echinocandins (caspofungin, anidulafungin and micafungin) represent a new family of antifungal agents that inhibit 1,3-β-glucan synthase. Nikkomycins targeting the chitin synthase, show activity against Histoplasma capsulatum and Blastomyces dermatitidis. Sordarin derivatives that block the fungal protein synthesis can be considered as a promising new class of antifungal agents for the treatment of Candida and Pneumocystis infections.
Keywords: Voriconazole, posaconazole, ravuconazole, echinocandins, nikkomycins, sordarins
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Recent Advances in Antifungal Agents
Volume: 7 Issue: 9
Author(s): Tamas Lorand and Bela Kocsis
Affiliation:
Keywords: Voriconazole, posaconazole, ravuconazole, echinocandins, nikkomycins, sordarins
Abstract: New antifungals are needed in the medicine because of more aggressive and invasive diagnostic and therapeutic methods used, rapid emergence of resistant and new opportunistic fungi, increasing number of patients suffering from immunosuppressive situations e.g., AIDS, transplantation, cancer, etc. Several classes of new antifungal agents are discussed here including some new members of known families. Voriconazole, posaconazole and ravuconazole, are novel triazoles that inhibit the ergosterol synthesis. These drugs overcome problems associated with the ineffectivity of fluconazole against some Aspergillus spp. or the variable bioavailability of itraconazole. Echinocandins (caspofungin, anidulafungin and micafungin) represent a new family of antifungal agents that inhibit 1,3-β-glucan synthase. Nikkomycins targeting the chitin synthase, show activity against Histoplasma capsulatum and Blastomyces dermatitidis. Sordarin derivatives that block the fungal protein synthesis can be considered as a promising new class of antifungal agents for the treatment of Candida and Pneumocystis infections.
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Cite this article as:
Lorand Tamas and Kocsis Bela, Recent Advances in Antifungal Agents, Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2007; 7 (9) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138955707781662672
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138955707781662672 |
Print ISSN 1389-5575 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5607 |
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