Fumagillin: an anti-infective as a parent molecule for novel angiogenesis inhibitors

Abstract

Fumagillin is an active amebicide and anti-infective isolated from the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Since its characterization in 1951, fumagillin has been studied extensively for its anti-infective properties. Although fumagillin is not approved for systemic use in the USA, this compound has one of the highest efficacies for the treatment of microsporidial infections in HIV-positive patients. Fumagillin does exhibit some side effects that have deterred its acceptance as a viable treatment, but the current body of research on the synthesis of novel analogs of this molecule shows an exciting and promising revival of this drug as both an anti-infective and antiangiogenic agent.

Keywords::

• amebicide
• angiogenesis inhibitor
• antitumor
• Aspergillus fumigatus
• caplostatin
• Enterocytozoon bieneusi
• fumagillin
• Kaposi’s sarcoma
• MetAP2
• microsporidiosis
• TNP-470
• viral protein R

Acknowledgements

JL Arbiser was supported by a Veterans Administration Merit Award, NIH grant R01 AR02030, and grants from the Jamie Rabinowitch-Davis Foundation and the Minsk Foundation.

Financial disclosure

The authors have no relevant financial interests related to this manuscript, including employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.