Flucofuron as a Promising Therapeutic Agent against Brain-Eating Amoeba

Abstract

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare and fulminant neurodegenerative disease caused by the free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri. Currently, there is a lack of standardized protocols for therapeutic action. In response to the critical need for effective therapeutic agents, we explored the Global Health Priority Box, a collection of 240 compounds provided by the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). From this pool, flucofuron emerged as a promising candidate, exhibiting high efficacy against trophozoites of both N. fowleri strains (ATCC 30808 IC₅₀ : 2.58 ± 0.64 μM and ATCC 30215 IC₅₀: 2.47 ± 0.38 μM), being even active against the resistant cyst stage (IC₅₀: 0.88 ± 0.07 μM). Moreover, flucofuron induced diverse metabolic events that suggest the triggering of apoptotic cell death. This study highlights the potential of repurposing medications for treating challenging diseases, such as PAM.