Research Area: Infection
Biological Activity:
Terbinafine hydrochloride (Lamisil) is a hydrochloride salt of terbinafine that is a synthetic allylamine antifungal and a squalene epoxidase inhibitor with an IC50 of 30 nM for Candida albicans. Terbinafine hydrochloride (Lamisil) is highly lipophilic in nature and tends to accumulate in skin, nails, and fatty tissues. Like other allylamines, terbinafine hydrochloride (Lamisil) inhibits ergosterol synthesis by inhibiting squalene epoxidase, an enzyme that is part of the fungal cell membrane synthesis pathway. Because terbinafine hydrochloride (Lamisil) prevents conversion of squalene to lanosterol, ergosterol cannot be synthesized. This is thought to change cell membrane permeability, causing fungal cell lysis. At 90-120 µM, terbinafine exhibits antitumor and antiangiogenic activity by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 stage in COLO 205 tumor cells and human vascular endothelia cells. [1][2][3]