[In vitro antifungal activity of micafungin].

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Micafungin is a new and very useful pharmacological tool for the treatment of invasive mycoses with a wide antifungal spectrum for the most common pathogenic fungi. Micafungin is especially active against the genera Candida and Aspergillus. Its antifungal mechanism is based on the inhibition of the beta-1,3- D-glucan synthesis, an essential molecule for the cell wall architecture, with different con sequences for Candida and Aspergillus, being micafungin fungicide for the former and fungistatic for the latter.

AIM:

To describe the in vitro antifungal spectrum of micafungin based in the scientific and medical lite rature of recent years.

METHODS:

We have done a bibliographic retrieval using the scientific terms, "micafungin", "activity", "Candida", "Aspergillus", "fungi", "mycos*", "susceptibility", in PubMed/Medline from the National Library of Medicine de EE.UU. from 2005 to 2009.

RESULTS:

We can underline that most than 99% of Candida isolates are susceptible to < or = 2microg/ml of micafungin. MIC are very low (< or = 0.125microg/ml) for most clinical isolates of the species Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei while Candida parapsilosis and Candida guilliermondii isolates are susceptible to anidulafungin concentrations < or = 2microg/ml. The activity of micafungin is excellent against those medical important species of Aspergillus. However, its activity is very low against Cryptococcus and the Zygomycetes.

CONCLUSIONS:

The excellent activity of micafungin has made this antifungal a first line therapeutic indication for candidemia and invasive candidiasis in non-neutropenic patients.

• Authors: Guillermo Quindós, Elena Eraso, Alfonso Javier Carrillo-Muñoz, Emilia Cantón, Javier Pemán
• Journal: Revista iberoamericana de micologia (Rev Iberoam Micol) Vol. 26 Issue 1 Pg. 35-41 (Mar 31 2009) ISSN: 1130-1406 [Print] Spain
• Vernacular Title: Actividad antifúngica in vitro de la micafungina.
• PMID: 19463275 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Antifungal Agents
• Echinocandins
• Lipopeptides
• Micafungin

Topics

• Antifungal Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Aspergillus (drug effects)
• Candida (drug effects)
• Cryptococcus (drug effects)
• Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
• Drug Resistance, Fungal
• Drug Synergism
• Echinocandins (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Fungi (drug effects)
• Humans
• In Vitro Techniques
• Lipopeptides (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Micafungin
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests
• Mycoses (drug therapy)
• Species Specificity