Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
Biomaterials. 2013 Jan;34(4):1018-23. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.10.050. Epub 2012 Nov 9.
Fungal keratitis is a leading cause of ocular morbidity throughout the world. However, current therapies against fungal keratitis are often ineffective. Herein, we have developed the amphiphilic main-chain imidazolium polymer (PIM-45) and oligomer (IBN-1) materials that can efficiently inhibit the growth of fungi with low minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) values and clear the fungal biofilm, while displaying minimal hemolysis. In vivo keratitis treatment indicates that topical solutions of these polyimidazolium salts (PIMSs) are safe and as effective as that of amphotericin B, the most commonly used agent for the treatment of Candida albicans (C. albicans) keratitis. Compared to the costly and unstable amphotericin B and fluconazole, PIM-45 and IBN-1 are easy to prepare, inexpensive and stable. They can be stored in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solutions with long shelf life for routine topical use.
真菌性角膜炎是全球范围内导致眼部发病率较高的主要原因之一。然而，目前针对真菌性角膜炎的治疗方法往往效果不佳。在此，我们开发了具有两亲性主链咪唑鎓聚合物（PIM-45）和低聚物（IBN-1）材料，它们可以以低最小抑菌浓度（MIC）有效地抑制真菌的生长并清除真菌生物膜，同时显示出最小的溶血作用。体内角膜炎治疗表明，这些聚咪唑鎓盐（PIMSs）的局部溶液是安全的，与最常用于治疗白色念珠菌（C. albicans）角膜炎的两性霉素 B 一样有效。与昂贵且不稳定的两性霉素 B 和氟康唑相比，PIM-45 和 IBN-1 易于制备、价格低廉且稳定。它们可以在磷酸盐缓冲盐水（PBS）溶液中储存，具有较长的保质期，可用于常规局部使用。
