title: Echinocandins: are they all the same?
abstract: The discovery of echinocandins, and their development and approval, was hailed as a significant addition to our antifungal armamentarium, previously predominated by polyenes and azoles. To date, three echinocandins (anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of fungal infections. Since all three echinocandins target the fungal cell wall and share a similar structural chemical backbone, they are perceived to be identical. However, a scientific literature review shows distinct differences among the echinocandins in terms of in vitro activity, fungicidal activity, post-antifungal effect, paradoxical effect, and activity on biofilms. More investigation is warranted to determine if the observed differences among the echinocandins can translate to clinical advantages.
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Mycology and Mycology Reference Laboratory, Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puzniak
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schlamm
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ghannoum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054714:Echinocandins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D054714:Echinocandins