title: Inhibition of bacterial and fungal pathogens by the orphaned drug auranofin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We identified auranofin as an antimicrobial compound utilizing a high-throughput screen using a Caenorhabditis elegans-Staphylococcus aureus infection model. Results/methodology: Treatment of infected nematodes with auranofin resulted in a prolonged survival rate of 95%, reached with 0.78 μg/ml. Further investigation of the antimicrobial activity of auranofin found inhibition against S. aureus, Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis. Importantly, the fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans was also effectively inhibited with an MIC at 0.5 μg/ml. Auranofin appears to target the thioredoxin system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work provides extensive additional data on the antibacterial effects of auranofin that includes both reference and clinical isolates and reports a novel inhibition of fungal pathogens by this compound.
authors.affiliation: Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School & Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
authors.forename: Beth Burgwyn
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School & Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
authors.forename: Rajmohan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: RajaMuthiah
authors.affiliation: Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Remondi
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School & Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eatemadpour
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences & Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, SP 12245000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodnei Dennis
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rossoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Assis
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences & Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, SP 12245000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Junqueira
authors.affiliation: Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School & Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
authors.forename: Louis B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.affiliation: Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School & Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mylonakis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001310:Auranofin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D013879:Thioredoxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001310:Auranofin; D013879:Thioredoxins
keywords: Bucillus subtilis; Candida albicans; Cryptococcus neoformans; Enterococcus faecalis; Enterococcus faecium; Staphylococcus aureus; antimicrobial; auranofin