Aspartic peptidase inhibitors as potential bioactive pharmacological compounds against human fungal pathogens

Abstract

The development of novel antifungal drugs is becoming more demanding every day since existing drugs either have too many side-effects or they tend to lose effectiveness due to resistant fungal strains. In view of this, a number of new strategies to obstruct fungal biological processes have emerged; one of them is focused on peptidase inhibition. This particular class of hydrolytic enzymes cleaves peptide bond in proteinaceous substrates, a reaction extremely important in maintaining the physiology of all living cells. Interestingly, peptidases are also essential virulence factors for prokaryotic and eukaryote micro-organisms, including fungi, during all stages of the infection process. Consequently, peptidases are potential targets for the development of future antifungal drugs. This chapter will focus on the potential use of aspartic peptidase inhibitors against human fungal pathogens, showing the capability of these bioactive pharmacological compounds to arrest vital fungal processes such as growth, differentiation, nutrition, and interaction with host components.