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New Perspectives for Candidiasis 2.0
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New Perspectives for Candidiasis 2.0

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Pathogenesis and Disease Control".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 5133

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Juliana Campos Junqueira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; bacterial infections; Candida spp.; biofilms; drug discovery; photodynamic therapy; drug delivery systems; probiotics and postbiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Candidiasis is a common fungal infection that results from an imbalance between the host immune system and virulence mechanisms of Candida species. Several virulence factors of Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida species have been unveiled and widely studied, such as adhesin expression, morphological switching from yeast to filamentous forms, enzyme secretion, and biofilm formation. Despite great advances in medical research, the morbidity and mortality rates associated with Candida infections are still high. Currently, the biggest challenge in treating candidiasis is the emergence of antifungal drug resistance. The isolation of Candida auris strains resistant to all antifungal classes is shifting Candida infections from multidrug to pandrug resistance status. In this Special Issue, we expect to gather several studies with a focus on the pathogenicity of Candida spp. and resistance mechanisms, as well as new horizons for candidiasis treatment involving recently synthesized antifungal compounds; drug repurposing; combination therapies; biomaterials for drug delivery, antibodies, and vaccination; photodynamic therapy; probiotics; and natural antifungal products.

Dr. Juliana Campos Junqueira
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • candidiasis
  • Candida spp.
  • pathogenicity
  • biofilms
  • antifungal resistance
  • antifungal drugs
  • repurposing
  • combination therapies
  • delivery systems

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1073 KiB  
Article
Prevalence and Species Distribution of Candida Clinical Isolates in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Ecuador Tested from January 2019 to February 2020
by Yessenia Acosta-Mosquera, Juan Carlos Tapia, Rubén Armas-González, María José Cáceres-Valdiviezo, Juan Carlos Fernández-Cadena and Derly Andrade-Molina
J. Fungi 2024, 10(5), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10050304 - 24 Apr 2024
Viewed by 258
Abstract
The incidence of candidemia in healthcare centers is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Frequency varies significantly among regions, with some species being more prevalent than others in Latin America. In this study, 191 clinical Candida isolates were collected from a major hospital [...] Read more.
The incidence of candidemia in healthcare centers is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Frequency varies significantly among regions, with some species being more prevalent than others in Latin America. In this study, 191 clinical Candida isolates were collected from a major hospital in Ecuador from January 2019 to February 2020 aiming to assess their prevalence and distribution. After data processing, 168 isolates characterized by the VITEK 2 system were subsequently identified by ITS sequencing. Results showed diverse Candida species distributions, with C. albicans and C. tropicalis being the most prevalent across different clinical sources. In hospitalized individuals, C. tropicalis (38%) and C. albicans (37%) were the most prevalent, followed by, C. parapsilosis (16%), C. glabrata (5%), and other non-Candida albicans (NCA) species (6%). Conversely, C. parapsilosis (48%), C. albicans (20%), and C. glabrata (14%), associated with candidemia, were the most common in blood and CSF. Additionally, uncommon NCA species such as C. haemulonii, C. kefyr, and C. pelliculosa were identified in Ecuador for the first time. Discrepancies in species identification were observed between the VITEK 2 system and ITS sequencing, coinciding at 85%. This highlights the need for ongoing surveillance and identification efforts in Ecuador’s clinical and epidemiological settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives for Candidiasis 2.0)
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20 pages, 2868 KiB  
Article
Associations between Genomic Variants and Antifungal Susceptibilities in the Archived Global Candida auris Population
by Yue Wang and Jianping Xu
J. Fungi 2024, 10(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10010086 - 22 Jan 2024
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Abstract
Candida auris is a recently emerged human fungal pathogen that has posed a significant threat to public health. Since its first identification in 2009, this fungus has caused nosocomial infections in over 47 countries across all inhabited continents. As of May 2023, the [...] Read more.
Candida auris is a recently emerged human fungal pathogen that has posed a significant threat to public health. Since its first identification in 2009, this fungus has caused nosocomial infections in over 47 countries across all inhabited continents. As of May 2023, the whole-genome sequences of over 4000 strains have been reported and a diversity of mutations, including in genes known to be associated with drug resistance in other human fungal pathogens, have been described. Among them, 387 strains contained antifungal-susceptibility information for which different methods might be used depending on the drugs and/or investigators. In most reports on C. auris so far, the number of strains analyzed was very small, from one to a few dozen, and the statistical significance of the relationships between these genetic variants and their antifungal susceptibilities could not be assessed. In this study, we conducted genome-wide association studies on individual clades based on previously published C. auris isolates to investigate the statistical association between genomic variants and susceptibility differences to nine antifungal drugs belonging to four major drug categories: 5-fluorocytosine, amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, anidulafungin, caspofungin, and micafungin. Due to the small sample sizes for Clades II, V, and VI, this study only assessed Clades I, III, and IV. Our analyses revealed 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Clade I (10 in coding and 5 in noncoding regions), 24 SNPs in Clade III (11 in coding and 13 in noncoding regions), and 13 SNPs in clade IV (10 in coding and 3 in noncoding regions) as statistically significantly associated with susceptibility differences to one or more of the nine antifungal drugs. While four SNPs in genes encoding lanosterol 14-α-demethylase (ERG11) and the catalytic subunit of 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthase (FKS1) were shared between clades, including the experimentally confirmed Ser639Phe/Pro missense substitutions in FKS1 for echinocandin resistance, most of the identified SNPs were clade specific, consistent with their recent independent origins. Interestingly, the majority of the antifungal resistance-associated SNPs were novel, and in genes and intergenic regions that have never been reported before as associated with antifungal resistance. While targeted study is needed to confirm the role of each novel SNP, the diverse mechanisms of drug resistance in C. auris revealed here indicate both challenges for infection control and opportunities for the development of novel antifungal drugs against this and other human fungal pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives for Candidiasis 2.0)
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10 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
Multifaceted Evaluation of Antibiotic Therapy as a Factor Associated with Candidemia in Non-Neutropenic Patients
by Si-Ho Kim, Seok Jun Mun, Jin Suk Kang, Chisook Moon, Hyoung-Tae Kim and Ho Young Lee
J. Fungi 2023, 9(2), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9020270 - 18 Feb 2023
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Abstract
We aimed to evaluate various aspects of antibiotic therapy as factors associated with candidemia in non-neutropenic patients. A retrospective, matched, case-control study was conducted in two teaching hospitals. Patients with candidemia (cases) were compared to patients without candidemia (controls), matched by age, intensive [...] Read more.
We aimed to evaluate various aspects of antibiotic therapy as factors associated with candidemia in non-neutropenic patients. A retrospective, matched, case-control study was conducted in two teaching hospitals. Patients with candidemia (cases) were compared to patients without candidemia (controls), matched by age, intensive care unit admission, duration of hospitalization, and type of surgery. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with candidemia. A total of 246 patients were included in the study. Of 123 candidemia patients, 36% had catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). Independent factors in the whole population included immunosuppression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.195; p = 0.036), total parenteral nutrition (aOR = 3.642; p < 0.001), and anti-methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) therapy for ≥11 days (aOR = 5.151; p = 0.004). The antibiotic factor in the non-CRBSI population was anti-pseudomonal beta-lactam treatment duration of ≥3 days (aOR = 5.260; p = 0.008). The antibiotic factors in the CRBSI population included anti-MRSA therapy for ≥11 days (aOR = 10.031; p = 0.019). Antimicrobial stewardship that reduces exposure to these antibacterial spectra could help prevent the development of candidemia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives for Candidiasis 2.0)

Review

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25 pages, 1990 KiB  
Review
Anti-Candidal Marine Natural Products: A Review
by Arumugam Ganeshkumar, Juliana Caparroz Gonçale, Rajendran Rajaram and Juliana Campos Junqueira
J. Fungi 2023, 9(8), 800; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9080800 - 28 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1417
Abstract
Candida spp. are common opportunistic microorganisms in the human body and can cause mucosal, cutaneous, and systemic infections, mainly in individuals with weakened immune systems. Candida albicans is the most isolated and pathogenic species; however, multi-drug-resistant yeasts like Candida auris have recently been [...] Read more.
Candida spp. are common opportunistic microorganisms in the human body and can cause mucosal, cutaneous, and systemic infections, mainly in individuals with weakened immune systems. Candida albicans is the most isolated and pathogenic species; however, multi-drug-resistant yeasts like Candida auris have recently been found in many different regions of the world. The increasing development of resistance to common antifungals by Candida species limits the therapeutic options. In light of this, the present review attempts to discuss the significance of marine natural products in controlling the proliferation and metabolism of C. albicans and non-albicans species. Natural compounds produced by sponges, algae, sea cucumber, bacteria, fungi, and other marine organisms have been the subject of numerous studies since the 1980s, with the discovery of several products with different chemical frameworks that can inhibit Candida spp., including antifungal drug-resistant strains. Sponges fall under the topmost category when compared to all other organisms investigated. Terpenoids, sterols, and alkaloids from this group exhibit a wide array of inhibitory activity against different Candida species. Especially, hippolide J, a pair of enantiomeric sesterterpenoids isolated from the marine sponge Hippospongia lachne, exhibited strong activity against Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida glabrata. In addition, a comprehensive analysis was performed to unveil the mechanisms of action and synergistic activity of marine products with conventional antifungals. In general, the results of this review show that the majority of chemicals derived from the marine environment are able to control particular functions of microorganisms belonging to the Candida genus, which can provide insights into designing new anti-candidal therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives for Candidiasis 2.0)
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