Fungal cell membrane-promising drug target for antifungal therapy

TitleFungal cell membrane-promising drug target for antifungal therapy
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsSant, DG, Tupe, SGenba, Ramana, CV, Deshpande, MV
JournalJournal of Applied Microbiology
Volume121
Issue6
Pagination1498-1510
Date PublishedDEC
AbstractIncrease in invasive fungal infections over the past few years especially in immunocompromised patients prompted the search for new antifungal agents with improved efficacy. Current antifungal armoury includes very few effective drugs like Amphotericin B; new generation azoles, including voriconazole and posaconazole; echinocandins like caspofungin and micafungin to name a few. Azole class of antifungals which target the fungal cell membrane are the first choice of treatment for many years because of their effectiveness. As the fungal cell membrane is predominantly made up of sterols, glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids, the role of lipids in pathogenesis and target identification for improved therapeutics were largely pursued by researchers during the last few years. Present review focuses on cell membrane as an antifungal target with emphasis on membrane biogenesis, structure and function of cell membrane, cell membrane inhibitors, screening assays, recent advances and future prospects.
DOI10.1111/jam.13301
Type of Journal (Indian or Foreign)Foreign
Impact Factor (IF)2.156
Divison category: 
Biochemical Sciences
Organic Chemistry