| Definition | CZEN-002 is a novel, non-azole anti-fungal synthetic octapeptide, derived from alpha-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone (a-MSH). CZEN-002 modulates inflammatory and immune responses. It has also been shown to kill Candida albicans (C. albicans), a single-celled fungal organism that causes a variety of infections, including vaginitis. This organism can invade tissues and produce fatal infections in individuals with compromised immune systems such as those suffering from HIV/AIDS or undergoing organ or bone transplants. The antimicrobial activity of CZEN-002 is unique in that it does not depend on direct damage to the microbial membrane. It appears that CZEN-002 works on a receptor in yeast that has yet to be identified.
Studies attempting to understand the candidacidal activity of derivatives of alpha-MSH have focused on the alpha-MSH amino acid sequence (6-13), which contains the invariant core sequence His-Phe-Arg-Trp (6-9) that is important for binding to the known melanocortin receptors. A second focus was on the sequence Lys-Pro-Val (11-13) that is known to be important for antimicrobial activity.
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