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Current Medicinal Chemistry

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 0929-8673
ISSN (Online): 1875-533X

Deciphering the Antimicrobial Activity of Phenanthroline Chelators

Author(s): M. McCann, A. Kellett, K. Kavanagh, M. Devereux and A. L.S. Santos

Volume 19, Issue 17, 2012

Page: [2703 - 2714] Pages: 12

DOI: 10.2174/092986712800609733

Price: $65

Abstract

The opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans, causes a range of diseases in susceptible individuals. The adverse sideeffects of many of the current anti-fungal prescription drugs and the emergence of C. albicans isolates and other Candida species which are resistant to these compounds have accelerated the search for new drug candidates which have different modes of action. A family of metal chelators, which are based on the 1,10-phenanthroline core, exhibit excellent growth inhibitory effects in vitro against a number of Candida species, including clinical isolates. The compounds sequester transition metal ions, damage mitochondrial function and uncouple cell respiration. Additionally, fungal cell morphology undergoes dramatic changes and there is evidence of apoptotic cell death. Importantly, in vivo studies have confirmed that the compounds have an acceptably low toxicity profile.

Keywords: Antimicrobial, bacterial, fungal, chelate, phenanthroline


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