Jorge Galvez
University of Valencia, Spain
Title: Novel antifungal drugs design by molecular topology
Biography
Biography: Jorge Galvez
Abstract
Some species of fungi act as pathogens against both mammals and plants. The search for new effective antifungals against these pathogenic strains constitutes one of the priority objectives of the pharmaceutical and phyto sanitary industry, since deadly diseases may arise. However, the problems of the antifungals and fungicides currently available are basically two: On the one hand they are not exempt from toxicity to the host and on the other they generate resistance in more or less long terms. The objective of the present work is the search for new antifungals that follow new, more effective mechanisms of action with lower toxicity. This search is done by molecular topology, a method that has shown extraordinary efficacy in the design of new drugs. In this sense, the MOAs related to the inhibition of chitin formation of fungi are very attractive, among other reasons because some of them stimulate the immune system of the host, which is thus able to defend the host against the fungus. In addition, said MOAs are less susceptible to the development of resistance by fungi. As a result, a set of compounds potentially effective in the inhibition of chitin formation and of possible future utility as drugs and/or phyto sanitary products is proposed.