As a leading company in the field of the drug industry, Creative Biolabs has gained a wealth of good reputation for successfully completed numerous challenges in antifungal drug discovery. Based on our advanced technology platform and experienced scientists, we are able to offer a series of antifungal drug discovery services against tinea capitis.

What is Tinea Capitis?

Tinea Capitis, also known as herpes tonsurans and scalp ringworm, is a dermatophyte infection of the hair and scalp. Trichophyton tonsurans (T. tonsurans) is the most common cause of tinea capitis, followed by Microsporum canis. Currently, anthropophilic organisms T. tonsurans commonly predominates in the US and the UK, while, zoophilic infections are being seen more frequently in continental Europe, the Middle East and some South American countries, usually caused by M. canis.

There are also other dermatophytes can cause tinea capitis infections including some anthropophilic organisms, several zoophilic organisms, and geophilic organisms:

  • T. violaceum
  • M. audouinii
  • T. schoenleinii
  • T. megninii
  • T. soudanense
  • T. mentagrophytes
  • T. verrucosum
  • M. persicolor
  • M. gypseum
  • M. nanum

Risks of Tinea Capitis Infection

Tinea capitis infection may be caused by direct contact with an infected person, animal or from contact with a contaminated object. The causative dermatophyte can live for a few months on contaminated objects and infect a new person.

  • Age: pre-pubertal children between 6 and 10 years which rarely persist past age sixteen.
  • Sex: males are more susceptible to infection than females.
  • Geographical factors: prevalence of tinea capitis varies considerably with the different geographic area of the world.

Symptoms and Signs

A typical symptom of tinea capitis is single or multiple patches of hair loss that may be accompanied by inflammation, scaling, and pustules, even severe itching of the scalp, dandruff, and bald patches. Based on the causative microorganism and the nature of the symptoms, tinea capitis is usually classified into three types by the pattern of hair shaft invasion.

  • Ectothrix tinea capitis is mainly caused by fungus M. canis, M. gypseum, T. equinum, and T. verrucosum. Dermatophyte infections in which arthrospores are formed on the outside of the hair shaft are known as ectothrix infections, which can be easily recognized by the destruction of the hair cuticle. Ectothrix anthropophilic infections relatively spread rapidly of these three infections.
  • Endothrix infection is characterized by the production of arthroconidia within the hair shaft with an intact hair cuticle, which is associated with anthropophilic dermatophytes T. tonsurans and T. violaceum.
  • Favic infection formed through dermatophytes invasion into the hair medulla without the production of arthroconidia, which is characterized by yellow, cup-shaped crusts around the hairs, and caused by T. schoenleinii.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The clinical diagnosis tinea capitis should be confirmed by microscopic examination and microbial culture of epilated hairs. Wood's light examination and dermoscopy could be of great assistance in diagnosing tinea capitis.

Unlike other dermatophytoses that preferentially treated with topical therapies, the best treatment for tinea capitis is oral medications as topically drugs are seldom effective. As a secondary metabolite of the fungus Penicillium griseofulvin, griseofulvin has a long history in the treatment of tinea capitis. Griseofulvin must be taken orally to be effective and penetrates the hair shaft where the fungus lives. Both griseofulvin and the new antimycotics have a favorable adverse-effect profile and high compliance.

Types of Dermatophytosis Studied by Creative Biolabs

As a part of our antifungal drug research, Creative Biolabs has abundant and professional experience in dermatophytosis research. Our professional scientists will work closely with our customers and provide you with high-quality, flexible, and cost-effective services. Besides tinea capitis, other types of dermatophytosis are also within our scope of service.

If you are interested in the fungal diseases we investigate, please click the links above. For more detailed information, just feel free to contact us.

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