Antimicrobial effect of auranofin against Acanthamoeba spp.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2021.106425Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Acanthamoeba infections are difficult to treat

  • The approved, gold-based compound auranofin is a good candidate for drug repurposing

  • Auranofin has potent antimicrobial activity against Acanthamoeba spp. with an IC50 of 2.9-3.48 µM

  • Auranofin may be useful in the prevention and control of Acanthamoeba infections

Abstract

Acanthamoebae are opportunistic pathogens that cause serious infections, including Acanthamoeba keratitis, a sight-threatening disease affecting mainly contact lens wearers, and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, an infection of the central nervous system that occurs mostly in immunocompromised individuals. Although these infections are rare, they are a challenge for healthcare providers. In the last decade, the search for and implementation of novel treatment approaches against these parasites and the infections they cause have intensified, but current options are still unsatisfactory. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro activity of the gold-based compound auranofin against Acanthamoeba spp. The study showed that auranofin has potent antimicrobial activity against Acanthamoeba spp., with an IC50 ranging from 2.9 to 3.48 µM, and thus may be useful in the prevention and control of Acanthamoeba infections.

Key words

Acanthamoeba
treatment
effective concentration

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