Scientists at Imperial College London and The University of Manchester have developed a promising new way to create safer and more effective treatments for life-threatening fungal infections. The urgency for new treatments was emphasised by a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Discovering new antifungal compoundsIn the new study, researchers from the Micklefield Lab focused on polyenes — a class of powerful antifungal agents. “Surprisingly, we found that one of the most effective new polyene derivatives, Nys34, has a different mode-of-action to the widely used amphotericin. Because the process is potentially scalable and cost-effective, it could help make improved antifungal treatments more widely available, particularly in lower-income regions where fungal diseases are highest place a substantial burden on public health.