Left: photo of a leaf with 96 laser-cut squares. Right: Leaf samples growing fungi in a petri dish. Credit: University of Oklahoma.
University of Oklahoma researchers recently published their findings regarding a breakthrough fungal infection treatment. The newly discovered molecule, persephacin, is non-toxic to human cells and is effective at treating a broad range of fungal infections.
Fungal infections are on the rise in the United States and often have high morbidity rates, up to 80% in some cases, and are responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans annually. Despite the prevalence of fungal infections, few treatments are available, and those that are available are becoming less effective as fungi develop resistance to them.
"Fungi are found throughout the botanical world, and plants and fungi often work together," said Robert Cichewicz, Ph.D., and principal investigator at Oklahoma University. "We hypothesized that if these plant-dwelling fungi, known as endophytes, could help the plants fight off infections by killing the invading fungi, then these molecules might also be able to protect humans and animals from fungal pathogens.”
The breakthrough, published in The Journal of Natural Products, was discovered thanks in part to advancements in sample preparation methodology and techniques. "Using traditional methods, we could process roughly four to six samples per minute," Cichewicz said. "But our FLEET system is capable of aseptically generating between 500-600 tissue specimens in 10 minutes. This allows us to rapidly screen more samples and enhances the opportunity for potential drug discoveries."
While using the FLEET system, researchers discovered the molecule persephacin which they discovered had powerful antifungal effects. "This antifungal discovery appears to work on a broad spectrum of infectious fungi, and it is reasonably non-toxic to human cells, which is a huge deal because many current treatments are toxic to the human body," said Cichewicz.
Cichewicz has since been awarded a U.S. patent for the use of persephacin as an antifungal treatment. "It's taken us a long time to get to this point, but now we're hoping to work with an industry partner to help us develop this treatment," Cichewicz said. "Antifungal resistance keeps evolving, and this could provide a new alternative. That's why this molecule is so exciting."