Liposome-incorporated nystatin

摘要

The present invention involves a liposomal agent for treating disseminated fungal infection in an animal. This liposomal agent comprises the polyene antifungal compound nystatin. The nystatin is encapsulated within a liposome. The liposome in which the nystatin is incorporated is preferably a stable multilamellar vesicle. The liposome broadly comprises one or more lipids one or more of phosphomonoglyceride, phosphatidic acid and sphingolipid. The lipids are preferably one or more of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylglycerol, sphingomyelin or phosphatidic acid. The lipids are most preferably one or more of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine, dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol. The liposome of the present invention may comprise a sterol most preferably cholesterol. An important aspect of the present invention involves a method for treating disseminated fungal infection in an animal. This method comprises administering to an animal subject to disseminated fungal infection a fungicidally effective amount of nystatin encapsulated within a liposome. The liposome is composed as described above. The administering is preferably parenteral in most instances but may be oral or topical if specific colonies of fungus are thereby more directly reached. This treatment method is most useful when the animal is a human suffering from disseminated fungal infection. The method of treatment involves a fungicidally effective amount of liposome-incorporated nystatin of between about 1 mg nystatin/kg body weight and about 6 mg nystatin/kg body weight. In a most preferred embodiment the treatment method comprises liposomes consisting essentially of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine and dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol in a ratio of about 7:3.