Dissemination of fungal infections: animal model and method of

Abstract

Aspartyl protease inhibitors such as pepstatin A have been found to prevent dissemination of Candida species across an epithelial barrier in mammals. Accordingly, a method for reducing adverse biological effects of dissemination of Candida species in an immunosuppressed mammal comprises administering prophylactically to the mammal an effective amount of an inhibitor of an aspartyl protease. Also, a method for identifying medicaments useful for preventing or treating systemic Candidiasis comprises treating test and control groups of immunosuppressed mammals with vehicle comprising a potential medicament, and with vehicle alone, respectively; administering to the test and control groups of mammals at least one Candida species, via the airways, at a time subsequent to the treating step if prophylactic medicaments are to be evaluated, but at a time prior to initiation of the treating step if therapeutic medicaments are to be evaluated; monitoring for a biological response of the test and control groups of mammals to the treating and administering steps; and comparing the biological response of the test and control groups of mammals over time.