Fungal infections are causing the deaths of thousands of Americans each year, with a morbidity rate of nearly 80%. Unfortunately, there are only a few available antifungal treatments, and their effectiveness is decreasing as fungi develop resistance. However, researchers from the University of Oklahoma have recently published findings in the Journal of Natural Products suggesting that they may have discovered a groundbreaking new treatment.
“The molecule we’re excited about is called persephacin,” said Robert Cichewicz, Ph.D., the principal investigator and Regents Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences at OU. ”This antifungal discovery seems to work against a wide range of infectious fungi, and it is relatively non-toxic to human cells, which is significant because many current treatments are harmful to the human body.”
The increase in fungal infections is partly due to the successful treatment of other diseases. As people live longer and undergo treatments like chemotherapy and organ transplants, their immune systems often become weakened. When drugs that weaken the immune system, such as those used to treat arthritis and other ailments, are added to the mix, it creates a perfect storm for potentially deadly fungal infections.
Cichewicz, who has been studying fungi for almost 20 years, leads the Natural Products Discovery Group at OU. This team of researchers discovered this unique molecule and developed a special method for testing plants for their antifungal properties.
“Fungi are present throughout the plant world, and plants and fungi often have a symbiotic relationship. Some of these fungi kill competitors or repel insects from eating the plant,” Cichewicz explained. ”We hypothesized that if these fungi that reside in plants, known as endophytes, could help plants fight off infections by killing invading fungi, then these molecules might also be able to protect humans and animals from fungal pathogens. As it turns out, our hypothesis was correct.”
2023-08-07 21:48:03
Source from phys.org