Toxicological Assessment of 2-Hydroxychalcone-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy: Comparative In Vitro and In Vivo Approaches.

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment modality that uses light to activate a photosensitizing agent, destroying target cells. The growing awareness of the necessity to reduce or eliminate the use of mammals in research has prompted the search for safer toxicity testing models aligned with the new global guidelines and compliant with the relevant regulations.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of PDT on alternative models to mammals, including in vitro three-dimensional (3D) cultures and in vivo, in invertebrate animals, utilizing a potent photosensitizer, 2-hydroxychalcone.

Multiple Tolerization Subtractive Immunization in the Obtention of Specific Monoclonal Antibodies Against .

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a chronic endemic mycosis in Latin America, predominantly caused by (Pb18) and (Pl01). Diagnosing PCM is challenging due to species-specific antigenic differences, therefore new biomarkers for accurate and rapid detection are needed. This study explores multiple tolerization subtractive immunization (MTSI) to generate monoclonal antibodies against rare or weakly expressed epitopes of Pb18 and Pl01, potentially improving PCM diagnosis.

Peptides from against spp: toxicity in three-dimensional cell cultures and .

This work aimed to test peptides against the planktonic and biofilm form of spp. and toxicity using three-dimensional (3D) cells characterized and evaluate toxicity in . Susceptibility tests were conducted on the planktonic form and biofilm formation.

Antimicrobial Peptides: A Promising Alternative to Conventional Antimicrobials for Combating Polymicrobial Biofilms.

Polymicrobial biofilms adhere to surfaces and enhance pathogen resistance to conventional treatments, significantly contributing to chronic infections in the respiratory tract, oral cavity, chronic wounds, and on medical devices. This review examines antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as a promising alternative to traditional antibiotics for treating biofilm-associated infections. AMPs, which can be produced as part of the innate immune response or synthesized therapeutically, have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, often disrupting microbial cell membranes and causing cell death.

Bioprospecting, Synergistic Antifungal and Toxicological Aspects of the Hydroxychalcones and Their Association with Azole Derivates against spp. for Treating Vulvovaginal Candidiasis.

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) remains a prevalent fungal disease, characterized by challenges, such as increased fungal resistance, side effects of current treatments, and the rising prevalence of non- spp. naturally more resistant. This study aimed to propose a novel therapeutic approach by investigating the antifungal properties and toxicity of 2-hydroxychalcone (2-HC) and 3'-hydroxychalcone (3'-HC), both alone and in combination with fluconazole (FCZ) and clotrimazole (CTZ).

Common virulence factors between and : Recognition of Hsp60 and Enolase by CR3 and plasmin receptors in host cells.

Over the last two decades, the incidence of Invasive Fungal Infections (IFIs) globally has risen, posing a considerable challenge despite available antifungal therapies. Addressing this, the World Health Organization (WHO) prioritized research on specific fungi, notably spp. and spp.

spp.: the structural characterization of extracellular matrix, expression of glucan synthesis and associated genes and adhesins during biofilm formation.

The genus includes and the complex, which comprises four phylogenetic species. A key feature distinguishing planktonic growth from biofilm is the presence of a 3D extracellular matrix (ECM). Therefore, in this study, we analyzed biofilm formation in different species of yeast phase, characterized the structural elements of the matrix of (Pb18), (Pl01 and 8334) and (339 and 192) and evaluated the expression of glucan genes, according to the stage of biofilm evolution for .

Amphotericin B-loaded natural latex dressing for treating Candida albicans wound infections using Galleria mellonella model.

Amphotericin B (AmB) is the gold standard for antifungal drugs. However, AmB systemic administration is restricted because of its side effects. Here, we report AmB loaded in natural rubber latex (NRL), a sustained delivery system with low toxicity, which stimulates angiogenesis, cell adhesion and accelerates wound healing.

Polypeptides Targeting Drk1.

Considering the toxicity of conventional therapeutic approaches and the importance of precise mechanistic targets, it is important to explore signaling pathways implicated in fungal pathobiology. Moreover, treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic mycosis caused by a dimorphic fungus, requires prolonged therapeutic regimens. Among the numerous factors underpinning the establishment of spp.

Alternative Non-Mammalian Animal and Cellular Methods for the Study of Host-Fungal Interactions.

In the study of fungal pathogenesis, alternative methods have gained prominence due to recent global legislation restricting the use of mammalian animals in research. The principle of the 3 Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement) is integrated into regulations and guidelines governing animal experimentation in nearly all countries. This principle advocates substituting vertebrate animals with other invertebrate organisms, embryos, microorganisms, or cell cultures.

Alginate-Based 3D A549 Cell Culture Model to Study Infection.

A three-dimensional (3D) lung aggregate model based on sodium alginate scaffolds was developed to study the interactions between (Pb) and lung epithelial cells. The suitability of the 3D aggregate as an infection model was examined using cell viability (cytotoxicity), metabolic activity, and proliferation assays. Several studies exemplify the similarity between 3D cell cultures and living organisms, which can generate complementary data due to the greater complexity observed in these designed models, compared to 2D cell cultures.

Biocompatible anti-aging face mask prepared with curcumin and natural rubber with antioxidant properties.

Natural rubber latex (NRL) is a biopolymer widely used in biomedical applications. In this work, we propose an innovative cosmetic face mask, combining the NRL's biological properties with curcumin (CURC), which has a high level of antioxidant activity (AA) to provide anti-aging benefits. Chemical, mechanical and morphological characterizations were performed.

Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for Voriconazole Delivery Applied to Invasive Fungal Infections.

Invasive fungal infections increase mortality and morbidity rates worldwide. The treatment of these infections is still limited due to the low bioavailability and toxicity, requiring therapeutic monitoring, especially in the most severe cases. Voriconazole is an azole widely used to treat invasive aspergillosis, other hyaline molds, many dematiaceous molds, spp.

Synthesis and Evaluation of the Antifungal and Toxicological Activity of Nitrofuran Derivatives.

Fungal diseases affect more than 1 billion people worldwide. The constant global changes, the advent of new pandemics, and chronic diseases favor the diffusion of fungal pathogens such as , , , , and . In this work, a series of nitrofuran derivatives were synthesized and tested against different fungal species; most of them showed inhibitory activity, fungicide, and fungistatic profile.

Drk1, a Dimorphism Histidine Kinase, Contributes to Morphology, Virulence, and Stress Adaptation in .

is a thermally dimorphic fungus belonging to complex, causative of a systemic, endemic mycosis limited to Latin American countries. Signal transduction pathways related to important aspects as surviving, proliferation according to the biological niches are linked to the fungal pathogenicity in many species, but its elucidation in remains poorly explored. As Drk1, a hybrid histidine kinase, plays regulators functions in other dimorphic fungi species, mainly in dimorphism and virulence, here we investigated its importance in .

The Antimicrobial Peptide MK58911-NH Acts on Planktonic, Biofilm, and Intramacrophage Cells of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Cryptococcosis is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially in AIDS patients. Its treatment is carried out by combining amphotericin B and azoles or flucytosine, which causes unavoidable toxicity issues in the host. Thus, the urgency in obtaining new antifungals drives the search for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).

2-Hydroxychalcone as a Potent Compound and Photosensitizer Against Dermatophyte Biofilms.

Dermatophytes, fungi that cause dermatophytosis, can invade keratinized tissues in humans and animals. The biofilm-forming ability of these fungi was described recently, and it may be correlated with the long treatment period and common recurrences of this mycosis. In this study, we evaluated the anti-dermatophytic and anti-biofilm activity of 2-hydroxychalcone (2-chalcone) in the dark and photodynamic therapy (PDT)-mediated and to determine its mechanism of action.

Heat Shock Protein 60, Insights to Its Importance in : From Biofilm Formation to Host-Interaction.

Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are among the most widely distributed and evolutionary conserved proteins, acting as essential regulators of diverse constitutive metabolic processes. The Hsp60 of the dimorphic fungal is the major surface adhesin to mammalian macrophages and studies of antibody-mediated protection against  have provided insight into the complexity involving Hsp60. However, nothing is known about the role of Hsp60 regarding biofilms, a mechanism of virulence exhibited by .