News Health & Medicine

A new antifungal drug works in a surprising way

Mandimycin soaks up molecules that all forms of life share, yet appears to target only fungi

A growing colony of fungi forms an irregular white blob in the center of an orange colored growth medium in a petri dish. That fungi may be no match for a newfound bacterial compound called Mandimycin that holds promise as an antifungal drug.

Fungi, like this colony growing in a lab dish, are notoriously hard to treat. A newly discovered compound made by bacteria kills even fungi that are resistant to other antifungal drugs. The compound may one day become a drug — if scientists can figure out why it doesn't also kill human cells and bacteria.