Researcher Finds New Way To Treat Devastating Fungal Infections

[Guest guest]

Source: University of British Columbia

Date: March 5, 2007

More on: Kidney Disease, Diseases and Conditions, Today's

Healthcare, Pharmacology, Urology, Fungus

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070305141208.htm

Researcher Finds New Way To Treat Devastating Fungal Infections

Science Daily — Devastating blood-borne fungal infections that can

be lethal for HIV/AIDS, cancer, and organ transplant patients may be

treated more successfully, thanks to a new drug delivery method

developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia in

Vancouver.

Pharmaceutical Sciences Prof. Kishor M. Wasan has created a liquid

preparation that incorporates drug molecules in fat (lipid-based

formulation) so that Amphotericin B, a potent anti-fungal agent, can

be taken by mouth with minimal side effects. The agent, used for

about 50 years, is currently administered intravenously and has

significant toxic side effects, notably severe kidney toxicity as

well as serious tissue damage at the intravenous injection site.

Wasan and his research team have discovered that the oral

preparation triggers a different molecular interaction than

intravenous delivery. The lipid-based system attacks fungal cells

only while inhibiting the drug's interaction with kidney cells --

boosting effectiveness and dramatically reducing toxicity.

The research findings will be presented today at a meeting sponsored

by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists in

Washington, D.C. Findings will be published in July 2007 in Drug

Development and Industrial Pharmacy.

Because the oral form of the drug is easier to administer and

cheaper than intravenous delivery, Wasan predicts that more

patients -- especially those in underserved areas and developing

countries -- would have access to the medicine. He notes that

Amphotericin B is also used to treat Leishmaniasis, a parasitic

disease that affects an estimated two million people worldwide

according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP)

in the U.S.

" This research was triggered by clinicians needing a way to kill

these fungal infections without risking the patient's kidney, " says

Wasan, who is a Distinguished University Scholar and a Canadian

Institutes of Health Research Chair in Drug Development. " Despite

antifungal agents, treating these infections is difficult and

challenges researchers to find better outcomes for the patient. "

Wasan tested the drug delivery method, in animal models, against two

fungal infections seen in their most severe forms in people with

suppressed immune systems, such as surgical patients and those with

chronic illness.

He treated Candida albicans, often seen as esophageal candidiasis,

an infection prevalent in HIV/AIDS and cancer patients receiving

chemotherapy, and aspergillosis, an infection caused by aspergillus

fumigatis, a family of common moulds that can cause symptoms ranging

from cough to brain damage. The oral formulation proved effective

and minimally toxic against both infections.

A clinical study of the drug delivery system, involving 50-100

patients, is planned for later this year. A form of invasive

candidiasis called candidemia is the fourth most common bloodstream

infection among hospitalized patients in the U.S. A survey conducted

at CDCP found that candidemia occurs in eight of every 100,000

persons per year. Persons at high risk include low-birth-weight

babies and surgical patients.

Incidence of invasive aspergillosis was five-10 per 1,000, according

to an analysis of medical records of 35,232 HIV-infected patients

who attended outpatient clinics in 10 U.S. cities between 1990 and

1998, according to Health Canada.

Research funding for this project has been provided by the Canadian

Institutes of Health Research, Canada's major agency responsible for

funding health research. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides

leadership and support to more than 10,000 health researchers and

trainees across Canada.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by

University of British Columbia.

[Guest guest]

how interesting, oral,minimal side effects, in the blood, toxic

effects. hummmm, yet we are supposed to believe that eating

molds/myco's hurt you more than inhaleing them where they get into

your blood stream.

>

> Source: University of British Columbia

> Date: March 5, 2007

> More on: Kidney Disease, Diseases and Conditions, Today's

> Healthcare, Pharmacology, Urology, Fungus

>

> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070305141208.htm

>

> Researcher Finds New Way To Treat Devastating Fungal Infections

>

>

> Science Daily — Devastating blood-borne fungal infections that can

> be lethal for HIV/AIDS, cancer, and organ transplant patients may

be

> treated more successfully, thanks to a new drug delivery method

> developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia in

> Vancouver.

>

> Pharmaceutical Sciences Prof. Kishor M. Wasan has created a liquid

> preparation that incorporates drug molecules in fat (lipid-based

> formulation) so that Amphotericin B, a potent anti-fungal agent,

can

> be taken by mouth with minimal side effects. The agent, used for

> about 50 years, is currently administered intravenously and has

> significant toxic side effects, notably severe kidney toxicity as

> well as serious tissue damage at the intravenous injection site.

>

> Wasan and his research team have discovered that the oral

> preparation triggers a different molecular interaction than

> intravenous delivery. The lipid-based system attacks fungal cells

> only while inhibiting the drug's interaction with kidney cells --

> boosting effectiveness and dramatically reducing toxicity.

>

> The research findings will be presented today at a meeting

sponsored

> by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists in

> Washington, D.C. Findings will be published in July 2007 in Drug

> Development and Industrial Pharmacy.

>

> Because the oral form of the drug is easier to administer and

> cheaper than intravenous delivery, Wasan predicts that more

> patients -- especially those in underserved areas and developing

> countries -- would have access to the medicine. He notes that

> Amphotericin B is also used to treat Leishmaniasis, a parasitic

> disease that affects an estimated two million people worldwide

> according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP)

> in the U.S.

>

> " This research was triggered by clinicians needing a way to kill

> these fungal infections without risking the patient's kidney, " says

> Wasan, who is a Distinguished University Scholar and a Canadian

> Institutes of Health Research Chair in Drug Development. " Despite

> antifungal agents, treating these infections is difficult and

> challenges researchers to find better outcomes for the patient. "

>

> Wasan tested the drug delivery method, in animal models, against

two

> fungal infections seen in their most severe forms in people with

> suppressed immune systems, such as surgical patients and those with

> chronic illness.

>

> He treated Candida albicans, often seen as esophageal candidiasis,

> an infection prevalent in HIV/AIDS and cancer patients receiving

> chemotherapy, and aspergillosis, an infection caused by aspergillus

> fumigatis, a family of common moulds that can cause symptoms

ranging

> from cough to brain damage. The oral formulation proved effective

> and minimally toxic against both infections.

>

> A clinical study of the drug delivery system, involving 50-100

> patients, is planned for later this year. A form of invasive

> candidiasis called candidemia is the fourth most common bloodstream

> infection among hospitalized patients in the U.S. A survey

conducted

> at CDCP found that candidemia occurs in eight of every 100,000

> persons per year. Persons at high risk include low-birth-weight

> babies and surgical patients.

>

> Incidence of invasive aspergillosis was five-10 per 1,000,

according

> to an analysis of medical records of 35,232 HIV-infected patients

> who attended outpatient clinics in 10 U.S. cities between 1990 and

> 1998, according to Health Canada.

>

> Research funding for this project has been provided by the Canadian

> Institutes of Health Research, Canada's major agency responsible

for

> funding health research. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides

> leadership and support to more than 10,000 health researchers and

> trainees across Canada.

>

> Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by

> University of British Columbia.

>

[Guest guest]

Jeanine,

This kind of statement of yours is one of the reasons why I admire your

posts..

Gets to the point.. and what a good point it is...

>how interesting, oral,minimal side effects, in the blood, toxic

effects. hummmm, yet we are supposed to believe that eating

molds/myco's hurt you more than inhaleing them where they get into

your blood stream.

[Guest guest]

Thanks Live, I just call it like I see it. I've lived through it and

educated myself on it and have a pretty good understanding on it now.

like you, I get aggervated at the TBI because it hinders my ability

to put it in a documented form. but anyway, those animals studies

have always bugged me, theri noses are right by theri mouth, and I

really dont recall any animals really chowing down on something

moldy, but eating around it might cause myco's/voc's to be in the air

and they go up the animals nose. animals get the same effects as us,

all routes of exposure are sure to play a role, just like us.if theri

in a moldy barn with moldy hay they will get sick.if piglets are

liveing and eating around a pig feeder full of moldy corn, they will

get sick.bug's(mold feeders) would be eating on the mold and seems

like the toxic molds would be putting out a lot on toxins in the air.

I just think all the documents on animal studies should be great

evidence of what happens to us. I'm not saying they dont eat some,

even if they eat around really bad parts theri still eating some,

just like we are if theri in our environment.there is no difference

in what happens to animals and what happens to us, maybe just the

difference in what effects from what route of exposure happen first

and/or most.obviously, some animal environments are worse than our

moldy environments.

>

> Jeanine,

>

> This kind of statement of yours is one of the reasons why I admire

your

> posts..

>

> Gets to the point.. and what a good point it is...

>

>

> >how interesting, oral,minimal side effects, in the blood, toxic

> effects. hummmm, yet we are supposed to believe that eating

> molds/myco's hurt you more than inhaleing them where they get into

> your blood stream.

>

>

>