Researchers discover promising compound for fighting brain-eating amoeba

Spanish researchers may have found the means for combatting a “brain-eating” amoeba that led to increased deaths in the U.S. and around the world in recent years.

The disease, Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, typically infects individuals who have had contact with contaminated fresh water, according to a post on the American Chemical Society (ACS) website. It is characterized by headache, fever, vomiting, hallucinations and seizures, with death common within two weeks of symptoms developing.

While the disease is relatively rare, it has been on the rise in the U.S., Brazil, the Philippines and parts of Asia, according to the post. The common treatment is administration of Amphotericin B, which can kill the amoeba in lab studies, but which researchers believe is less effective in patients as it is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier.

In a paper published in the ACS Chemical Neuroscience, researchers discussed the exploration of uses for compounds derived from a plant used in traditional medicine, Inula viscosa or “false yellowhead,” according to the post. They first determined that an extract derived from the plant using ethanol could kill the amoeba, then began breaking down that extract into its component parts in order to determine which compound had the desired effect.

The newly discovered compound, inuloxin A, is effective at killing the amoeba in lab conditions, and researchers believe it is also able to cross the blood-brain barrier, according to the post. The compound works by disrupting membranes and causing mitochondrial changes, chromatin condensation and oxidative damage.

Ultimately, the amoeba goes into programmed cell death, known as apoptosis, according to the post.

The research was funded by the European Regional Development Fund, the Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the University of La Laguna and the Augustin de Betancourt Foundation, according to the post.