Vitamin B3 Seen As Potential Fungal Infection Fighter

Toronto, Canada (AHN) – Canadian researchers have found vitamin B3 to be a potential treatment for fungal infections.

Scientists from the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer of the University of Montreal claimed in a study of infections by the yeast Candida albicans that nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, inhibits the C. albicans enzyme Hst3 essential for the growth and survival of the yeast.

They also found that nicotinamide prevented the growth of other pathogenic Candida species and Aspergillus fumigatus.

Candida is a common complication in AIDS patients, cancer patients under chemotherapy, and organ transplant recipients. It is is also one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections and high mortality rates.

The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

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