Efficacy of the combination of amphotericin B and echinocandins against and in the host model.

Multidrug resistance is a rising problem among non- species, such as . This therapeutic problem has been very important during the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization has included in its global priority list of health-threatening fungi, to study this emerging multidrug-resistant species and to develop effective alternative therapies.

In Vitro and In Vivo Activity of Citral in Combination with Amphotericin B, Anidulafungin and Fluconazole against Isolates.

is an emerging fungal pathogen responsible for hospital outbreaks of invasive candidiasis associated with high mortality. The treatment of these mycoses is a clinical challenge due to the high resistance levels of this species to current antifungal drugs, and alternative therapeutic strategies are needed. In this study, we evaluated the in vitro and in vivo activities of combinations of citral with anidulafungin, amphotericin B or fluconazole against 19 isolates.

PK/PD modeling and simulation of the in vitro activity of the combinations of isavuconazole with echinocandins against Candida auris.

In vitro combination of echinocandins and isavuconazole against the emerging species Candida auris is mainly synergistic. However, this combination has not been evaluated in clinical settings. A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling and simulation approach based on in vitro data may be helpful to further study the therapeutic potential of these combinations.

Assessing pH-dependent activities of virulence factors secreted by Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that can thrive under adverse conditions including suboptimal pH, nutrient scarcity, and low levels of oxygen. Its pathogenicity is associated with the production of virulence factors such as extracellular hydrolytic enzymes and toxins. This study was aimed at determining the effect of external pH, substrate nature, and strain origin on protease, lipase, and hemolysin production.

Antimicrobial Peptides with Anti- Activity.

Mycoses are accountable for millions of infections yearly worldwide. Invasive candidiasis is the most usual, presenting a high morbidity and mortality. remains the prevalent etiologic agent, but the incidence of other species such as , and keeps increasing.

Postantifungal Effect of Antifungal Drugs against : What Do We Know and How Can We Apply This Knowledge in the Clinical Setting?

The study of the pharmacological properties of an antifungal agent integrates the drug pharmacokinetics, the fungal growth inhibition, the fungicidal effect and the postantifungal activity, laying the basis to guide optimal dosing regimen selection. The current manuscript reviews concepts regarding the postantifungal effect (PAFE) of the main classes of drugs used to treat infections or candidiasis. The existence of PAFE and its magnitude are highly dependent on both the fungal species and the class of the antifungal agent.

Antifungal Activity of Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078) Against Contemporary Blood Isolates From Medically Relevant Species of : A European Study.

Background: Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078) is the newest oral and intravenous antifungal drug with broad activity, currently undergoing clinical trials for invasive candidiasis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the activity of ibrexafungerp and comparators against a collection of 434 European blood isolates of .

Methods: Ibrexafungerp, caspofungin, fluconazole, and micafungin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were collected from 12 European laboratories for 434 blood isolates, including 163 , 108 , 60 , 40 , 29 , 20 , 6 , 2 , 2 , and 1 isolate each of , , and .

and anti- activity of citral in combination with fluconazole.

Background: The ability of to develop biofilms on inert surfaces or living tissues favors recalcitrant and chronic candidiasis associated, in many instances, with resistance to current antifungal therapy.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of citral, a phytocompound present in lemongrass essential oil, in monotherapy and combined with fluconazole against azole-resistant planktonic cells and biofilms. The effect of citral combined with fluconazole was also analysed with regard to the expression of fluconazole resistance-associated genes in and the effectiveness of the combination therapy in a model of candidiasis.

Candidiasis by , and in : Virulence and Therapeutic Responses to Echinocandins.

is the major etiological agent of invasive candidiasis but the increasing prevalence of emerging species of , such as and phylogenetically closely related species, and , requires special attention. Differences in virulence among these species and their therapeutic responses using in vivo non-mammalian models are scarcely analysed. The aim of this study was analyse the survival of and host-pathogen interactions during infection by , and .

In Vitro Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Modelling and Simulation of Amphotericin B against .

The aims of this study were to characterize the antifungal activity of amphotericin B against in a static in vitro system and to evaluate different dosing schedules and MIC scenarios by means of semi-mechanistic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modelling and simulation. A two-compartment model consisting of a drug-susceptible and a drug-resistant subpopulation successfully characterized the time-kill data and a modified E sigmoidal model best described the effect of the drug. The model incorporated growth rate constants for both subpopulations, a death rate constant and a transfer constant between both compartments.

In vitro activities of carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and thymol against Candida biofilms.

Oral candidiasis is frequently associated with Candida biofilms. Biofilms are microbial communities related to persistent, recalcitrant and difficult to-treat infections. Conventional treatments are not sufficient to overcome biofilm-associated candidiasis; thus, the search of new antifungal compounds is necessary.

In Vitro Interaction and Killing-Kinetics of Amphotericin B Combined with Anidulafungin or Caspofungin against .

Treatment of invasive infections caused by is challenging due to the limited therapeutic options. The combination of antifungal drugs may be an interesting and feasible approach to be investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the in vitro activity of amphotericin B in combination with anidulafungin or caspofungin against .

Virulence of from different clinical origins in and host models.

is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen responsible for nosocomial outbreaks of invasive candidiasis. Although several studies on the pathogenicity of this species have been reported, the knowledge on virulence is still limited. This study aims to analyze the pathogenicity of , using one aggregating isolate and eleven non-aggregating isolates from different clinical origins (blood, urine and oropharyngeal specimens) in two alternative host models of candidiasis: and .

In Vitro Synergistic Interactions of Isavuconazole and Echinocandins against .

is an emergent fungal pathogen that causes severe infectious outbreaks globally. The public health concern when dealing with this pathogen is mainly due to reduced susceptibility to current antifungal drugs. A valuable alternative to overcome this problem is to investigate the efficacy of combination therapy.

Development and Characterization of Monoolein-Based Liposomes of Carvacrol, Cinnamaldehyde, Citral, or Thymol with Anti- Activities.

There is an increasing need for novel drugs and new strategies for the therapy of invasive candidiasis. This study aimed to develop and characterize liposome-based nanoparticles of carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, citral, and thymol with anti- activities. Dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide- and monoolein-based liposomes in a 1:2 molar ratio were prepared using a lipid-film hydration method.

Colony Morphotype Forecasts Biofilm Formation of Clinical Isolates.

is a frequent cause of fungal bloodstream infections, especially in critically ill neonates or immunocompromised patients. Due to the formation of biofilms, the use of indwelling catheters and other medical devices increases the risk of infection and complicates treatment, as cells embedded in biofilms display reduced drug susceptibility. Therefore, biofilm formation may be a significant clinical parameter, guiding downstream therapeutic choices.

: An Old But Unreported Pathogen.

Candidiasis caused by species of the complex ( and ) and closely related species, and are increasing. These species often show reduced susceptibility to antifungal drugs, such as azoles and amphotericin B or, less frequently, echinocandins. However, conventional phenotypic identification methods are unable to accurately differentiate these species and, therefore, their prevalence may have been underestimated.

Fungal co-infection in COVID-19 patients: Should we be concerned?

Critically ill COVID-19 patients have higher pro-inflammatory (IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, tumor necrosis alpha) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4, IL-10) cytokine levels, less CD interferon-gamma expression, and fewer CD and CD cells. This severe clinical situation increases the risk of serious fungal infections, such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, invasive candidiasis or Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. However, few studies have investigated fungal coinfections in this population.

Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model System To Assess Candida glabrata, , and Virulence and Antifungal Efficacy.

Although remains the major etiological agent of invasive candidiasis, and other emerging species of are increasingly isolated. This species is the second most prevalent cause of candidiasis in many regions of the world. However, clinical isolates of and can be misidentified and are underdiagnosed due to phenotypic traits shared with Little is known about the two cryptic species.

Synthesis, Physical, Mechanical and Antibacterial Properties of Nanocomposites Based on Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Graphene Oxide-Silver Nanoparticles.

The design of new materials with antimicrobial properties has emerged in response to the need for preventing and controlling the growth of pathogenic microorganisms without the use of antibiotics. In this study, partially reduced graphene oxide decorated with silver nanoparticles (GO-AgNPs) was incorporated as a reinforcing filler with antibacterial properties to poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) for preparation of poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene oxide-silver nanoparticles nanocomposites (PVA/GO-AgNPs). AgNPs, spherical in shape and with an average size of 3.

Graphene Oxide-Silver Nanoparticle Nanohybrids: Synthesis, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Properties.

Drug resistance of pathogenic microorganisms has become a global public health problem, which has prompted the development of new materials with antimicrobial properties. In this context, antimicrobial nanohybrids are an alternative due to their synergistic properties. In this study, we used an environmentally friendly one-step approach to synthesize graphene oxide (GO) decorated with silver nanoparticles (GO-AgNPs).

Utility of two PCR-RFLP-based techniques for identification of Candida parapsilosis complex blood isolates.

Background: Candida parapsilosis is the second or third most frequently isolated Candida species related to nosocomial infections, even overtaking Candida albicans in some hospitals. C. parapsilosis constitutes a complex of closely related species: Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto, Candida orthopsilosis and Candida metapsilosis.