Repurposing Disulfiram as an Antifungal Agent : Development of a New Disulfiram Vaginal Mucoadhesive Gel
Lajarin-Reinares, Maria (Reig Jofre Laboratories)
Naveira-Souto, Iria (Reig Jofre Laboratories)
Mallandrich, Mireia (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Farmàcia)
Suñer-Carbó, Joaquim (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament de Farmàcia)
Llagostera Casas, Montserrat (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia)
Calvo Torras, Ma. de los Ángeles (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals)
Fernandez-Campos, Francisco (Labiana Pharmaceuticals)

Date:	2023
Abstract:	Alternative formulations need to be developed to improve the efficacy of treatments administered via the vaginal route. Mucoadhesive gels with disulfiram, a molecule that was originally approved as an antialcoholism drug, offer an attractive alternative to treat vaginal candidiasis. The aim of the current study was to develop and optimize a mucoadhesive drug delivery system for the local administration of disulfiram. Such formulations were composed of polyethylene glycol and carrageenan to improve the mucoadhesive and mechanical properties and to prolong the residence time in the vaginal cavity. Microdilution susceptibility testing showed that these gels had antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, and Nakaseomyces glabratus. The physicochemical properties of the gels were characterized, and the in vitro release and permeation profiles were investigated with vertical diffusion Franz cells. After quantification, it was determined that the amount of the drug retained in the pig vaginal epithelium was sufficient to treat candidiasis infection. Together, our findings suggest that mucoadhesive disulfiram gels have the potential to be an effective alternative treatment for vaginal candidiasis.
Grants:	Generalitat de Catalunya 2020 DI 97
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Disulfiram ; Candida spp ; Mucoadhesion ; ATP-binding cassette ; Resistant ; Vaginitis
Published in:	Pharmaceutics, Vol. 15 (may 2023) , ISSN 1999-4923

DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15051436
PMID: 37242678

21 p, 2.6 MB

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Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles