Texas A&M Biologists Show Antidepressant Has Potential to Fight Fungal Meningitis

[Emily]

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2012/07/iologists-show-antidepressant-has-potential-to-fight-fungal-meningitis.aspx

Biologists Show Antidepressant Has Potential to Fight Fungal Meningitis
July 25, 2012 0 Comments
Posted in News, Fungal Infections, Research, Meningitis
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New research conducted by biologists at Texas A&M University suggests that ZOLOFT?, one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the world, also packs a potential preventive bonus ? potent mechanisms capable of inhibiting deadly fungal infections.

The findings are the result of a two-year investigation by Xiaorong Lin, assistant professor of biology, and Matthew S. Sachs, professor of biology, involving sertraline hydrocholoride (ZOLOFT) and its effects on Cryptococcus neoformans, the major causative agent of fungal meningitis ? specifically, cryptococcal meningitis, which claims more than half a million lives worldwide each year, according to a 2009 Center for Disease Control (CDC) report...

ETA:
Note this research is still in preliminary stages -

Lin says that even though the infection ultimately proved fatal in the mice study, sertraline as a cryptoccol treatment still holds promise. Because sertraline reduced the overall fungal burden within the mice and also possesses the desirable ability to cross the blood-brain barrier as an antidepressant, there is still hope it can be altered to serve as a viable treatment option.

There is no suggestion in the article that routine use of Zoloft would prevent fungal meningitis and as with all medication, there are known and suspected side effects:

http://zoloftlawsuit-info.com/zoloft-birth-defects/