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In Vitro Activity of Nitroxoline (5-Nitro-8-Hydroxyquinoline) Against Aspergillus Species

Summary

Researchers tested an old antibiotic called nitroxoline against Aspergillus fungi that cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients. The drug works by removing zinc that the fungus needs to survive. The study found that nitroxoline was very effective against all tested fungal strains, including those resistant to modern antifungal drugs, suggesting it could potentially be repurposed as a new treatment option.

Background

Nitroxoline is an old antibiotic approved for treating uncomplicated urinary tract infections that works through chelation of bivalent cations like zinc. Since zinc plays a central role in Aspergillus metabolism, researchers hypothesized that nitroxoline might have antifungal activity against this pathogenic fungus.

Objective

To evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of nitroxoline against clinically relevant Aspergillus isolates using broth microdilution testing, including azole-resistant strains.

Results

Nitroxoline demonstrated excellent in vitro activity against all tested Aspergillus isolates with MICs ranging from 0.125 to 1 mg/L and MIC50/90 of 0.5 mg/L, including against two azole-resistant isolates with confirmed cyp51A mutations.

Conclusion

Nitroxoline shows excellent in vitro activity against Aspergillus species, comparable to or better than activity against other filamentous fungi. Further studies with larger isolate sets and investigation of pharmacokinetic properties and in vivo efficacy are needed before clinical application.
  • Published in:Mycoses,
  • Study Type:In Vitro Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.1111/myc.70131, PMID: 41243873
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