title: High-throughput screening of a collection of known pharmacologically active small compounds for identification of Candida albicans biofilm inhibitors.
abstract: Candida albicans is the most common etiologic agent of systemic fungal infections with unacceptably high mortality rates. The existing arsenal of antifungal drugs is very limited and is particularly ineffective against C. albicans biofilms. To address the unmet need for novel antifungals, particularly those active against biofilms, we have screened a small molecule library consisting of 1,200 off-patent drugs already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Prestwick Chemical Library, to identify inhibitors of C. albicans biofilm formation. According to their pharmacological applications that are currently known, we classified these bioactive compounds as antifungal drugs, as antimicrobials/antiseptics, or as miscellaneous drugs, which we considered to be drugs with no previously characterized antifungal activity. Using a 96-well microtiter plate-based high-content screening assay, we identified 38 pharmacologically active agents that inhibit C. albicans biofilm formation. These drugs were subsequently tested for their potency and efficacy against preformed biofilms, and we identified three drugs with novel antifungal activity. Thus, repurposing FDA-approved drugs opens up a valuable new avenue for identification and potentially rapid development of antifungal agents, which are urgently needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Siles
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lopez-Ribot
authors.forename: Anand K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ramasubramanian
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001558:Benzethonium / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000737:chemistry; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays / Q000379:methods*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D004202:Disinfectants; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries; D001558:Benzethonium; D000666:Amphotericin B; C005106:methylbenzethonium chloride; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide