Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
group
What campus are you from?
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Stefani Caspaso-Villanueva: Freshman Reilly Taylor: Freshman Ana Cruz: Senior Sebastian Tucker: Senior Alba Chavez: Faculty
Lead Presenter's Name
Stefani Caspaso-Villanueva
Faculty Mentor Name
Alba Chavez
Abstract
The emergence in antimicrobial resistance has become an increased problem as a consequence to human vulnerability to fungal infections. Human commensal microbes (those who in normal conditions do not cause any infection, including yeast) have become opportunistic pathogens when patients become immunocompromised. It has been previously reported that commensal yeast strains can become pathogenic when exposed to extreme environments, such as fluctuations in temperature, oxygen availability and microgravity; conditions that astronauts experience during space flight missions. As a consequence, strains that commonly do not cause disease then become a serious health concern. Moreover, the use of conventional antifungal drugs such as azoles and polyenes can lead to clinical failure and difficulties related to treating fungal infections, and combined with the time required to develop new drugs, we require urgent consideration of other therapeutic alternatives. Drug repurposing is a promising and fast solution that the scientific community can use with low cost and safety advantages. In the present study, we tested multiple NSAID (non steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) as potential candidates for antifungal activity. We tested the efficacy of Finasteride, Flufenamic acid, Quinacrine and Colistin against two yeast strains isolated from the International Space Station (Candida parapsilosis and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa) in an effort to decipher the best repurposing strategy to treat potential fungal infections.
Did this research project receive funding support from the Office of Undergraduate Research.
No
Drug Repurposing in Mycology: Identification of Compounds as Potential Antifungals Against Yeast Strains Isolated From the International Space Station
The emergence in antimicrobial resistance has become an increased problem as a consequence to human vulnerability to fungal infections. Human commensal microbes (those who in normal conditions do not cause any infection, including yeast) have become opportunistic pathogens when patients become immunocompromised. It has been previously reported that commensal yeast strains can become pathogenic when exposed to extreme environments, such as fluctuations in temperature, oxygen availability and microgravity; conditions that astronauts experience during space flight missions. As a consequence, strains that commonly do not cause disease then become a serious health concern. Moreover, the use of conventional antifungal drugs such as azoles and polyenes can lead to clinical failure and difficulties related to treating fungal infections, and combined with the time required to develop new drugs, we require urgent consideration of other therapeutic alternatives. Drug repurposing is a promising and fast solution that the scientific community can use with low cost and safety advantages. In the present study, we tested multiple NSAID (non steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) as potential candidates for antifungal activity. We tested the efficacy of Finasteride, Flufenamic acid, Quinacrine and Colistin against two yeast strains isolated from the International Space Station (Candida parapsilosis and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa) in an effort to decipher the best repurposing strategy to treat potential fungal infections.