Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is one of the most common causes of death among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Creative Biolabs has successfully started a comprehensive antifungal drug discovery platform with multiple high-end technologies. Here is an introduction to cryptococcosis meningitis.
Introduction of Cryptococcosis Meningitis
Cryptococcal meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges caused by inhalation of aerosolized Cryptococcus yeast forms, followed by the hematogenous spread of infection from lungs to the brain. Immunosuppressed individuals, most commonly secondary to HIV/AIDS, recipients of solid organ transplants and patients under long-term steroids or other immunosuppressive therapy are at risk of developing the cryptococcal infection. HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis accounts for the majority of these cases, with up to 80% of reported cases in sub-Saharan Africa being HIV positive. In an autopsy study from India, cryptococcal meningitis was the most common opportunistic infection of the central nervous system in patients with AIDS. Cryptococcosis is one of the leading infections in 20% of solid organ transplant recipients, and about 40% of these patients progress to develop meningitis.
Fig.1 Opportunities, benefits and challenges of prevention and treatment of cryptococcosis in resource-limited settings. (Oladele, 2017)
Diagnosis of Cryptococcosis Meningitis
The diagnosis of the cryptococcal disease can be made by direct visualization, histopathology, culture, and detection of cryptococcal antigens in blood, CSF, and urine. Cryptococcus exists in the blood, CSF, and tissues as a single-celled organism with a characteristic polysaccharide capsule. Microscopic identification of the organism can be done using India ink staining or observation with a phase-contrast microscope. Detection of capsular antigen can be done by latex agglutination (LA) assays, enzyme immunoassays (EIAs), or the novel lateral flow assay (LFA).
Treatment of Cryptococcosis Meningitis
Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are responsible for the majority of cases of human cryptococcosis. In the absence of therapy, cryptococcal meningoencephalitis is uniformly fatal. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are critical to improving survival. The classes of antifungal drugs that have activity against Cryptococcus are the polyenes (amphotericin B formulations), the azoles, and flucytosine. Treatment of cryptococcal meningitis typically consists of a 2-week induction phase of therapy followed by 8 weeks of consolidation therapy and additional maintenance therapy that acts as secondary prophylaxis against recurrence.
Features of our Services
With the help of our well-established technologies and skillful scientific team, Creative Biolabs is capable of providing one-stop antifungal drug discovery service including target identification and validation, Hit identification, Hit to lead, Lead optimization, and IND enabling. to meet your drug discovery goals.
We provide a full range of customized drug discovery services against Cryptococcosis Meningitis. We provide very flexible options for each specific case. We are happy to make it accessible to all kinds of research and industrial customers. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
Reference
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