New study shows pathogen and drug working together to fight fungal lung infection (“P. aeruginosa works with fluconazole to eliminate drug tolerance and clear Candida infection”)

Medical Xpress / University of Maine / Infection and Immunity ^ | Mar. 15, 2022 | Siham Hattab et al

[ConservativeMind]

Pathogens don't always work against drug treatments. Sometimes, they can strengthen them.

Diseases caused by a combination of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites—also known as polymicrobial infections—are challenging to treat because scientists don't fully understand how pathogens interact during infection and how these interactions impact the drugs used to treat them.

Researchers looked at two pathogens that often occur at similar sites, particularly in cystic fibrosis and mechanically ventilated patients: Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Candida is the fourth most common hospital-acquired pathogen, and is particularly difficult to treat. It is targeted by a number of antifungal agents, but some only slow it rather than kill it outright. Meanwhile, P. aeruginosa infects 90% of all adult cystic fibrosis patients. Combined, C. albicans and P. aeruginosa cause more serious disease in cystic fibrosis and ventilated patients.

The researchers investigated the effectiveness of an antifungal drug, fluconazole, in the test tube and during infection of the zebrafish with both pathogens. Fluconazole is known to slow fungal growth, but Candida can become tolerant to the drug and not only survive, but also develop tolerance that leads to failed therapy, and potentially death.

What the study found was promising. The results showed that P. aeruginosa works with fluconazole to eliminate drug tolerance and clear the C. albicans infection in the culture and the zebrafish.

What's more, the bacteria also enhance the drug's ability against a second pathogenic Candida species that tends to be more resistant to the drug.

The increased effectiveness of the drug suggests there is much more to learn about how current drugs work when targeting these dangerous and complex polymicrobial infections. "We are really excited to have revealed that sometimes drugs against fungal infection can work even better in a more 'real-world' situation than in the test tube." says Robert Wheeler.

[ConservativeMind]

This is a pretty amazing thing, leveraging a competing, harmful bacteria one may already have, to wipe out two different Candida fungal types that would hasten death by working together against you.

As the write up says, these pathogen are unfortunately common together infecting cystic fibrosis and mechanically ventilated patients. Get rid of over half the equation, and you might be able to better kill off what remains.

[ConservativeMind]

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[Jan_Sobieski]

Antiparasitics are almost impossible to get in America. In the 3rd world, they are readily available over the counter. Sick Dependent Americans are obedient Americans

[thinden]

What the study found was promising. The results showed that P. aeruginosa works with fluconazole to eliminate drug tolerance and clear the C. albicans infection in the culture and the zebrafish.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fluconazole nasal sprays can be found OTC? right

Is the P. Aeruginosa restricted availability?

[Faith65]

Thanks.
BKMK for tomorrow.

[ConservativeMind]

Is the P. Aeruginosa restricted availability?

Thankfully, it is a deadly pathogen already available for free on 90% of cystic fibrosis sufferers.

[HollyB]

Fluconazole is an anti fungal Med. I took it for about 7 months during treatment for AML and after my bone marrow transplant. Antifungals are very strong meds and are not otc.

I also took anti fungal breathing treatments. Can’t recall the drug name.

You may be thinking of glo-base.

[HollyB]

Flo-nase

[HollyB]

Sorry. I was wrong. I took Vorconizole.