Fumagillin: an anti-infective as a parent molecule for novel angiogenesis inhibitors.

Fumagillin is an active amebicide and anti-infective isolated from the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. Since its characterization in 1951, fumagillin has been studied extensively for its anti-infective properties. Although fumagillin is not approved for systemic use in the USA, this compound has one of the highest efficacies for the treatment of microsporidial infections in HIV-positive patients. Fumagillin does exhibit some side effects that have deterred its acceptance as a viable treatment, but the current body of research on the synthesis of novel analogs of this molecule shows an exciting and promising revival of this drug as both an anti-infective and antiangiogenic agent.