Fungal infection models: Current progress of ex vivo methods

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Pharmacology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Ex vivo models are vital for drug development, especially when ethical approvals for in vivo studies are complex.
• Existing literature shows diverse ex vivo fungal infection models for antifungal evaluation, but lacks consensus on optimal choices.
• Models for nail, cornea, dentinal tubule, and skin fungal infections have been explored, presenting varied results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze prominent ex vivo fungal infection models for evaluating new antifungal drug candidates.
• To compare the advantages and disadvantages of various ex vivo models against traditional in vivo preclinical models.
• To provide guidance on selecting appropriate ex vivo models based on infection type for antifungal drug screening.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and critical analysis of published ex vivo fungal infection models.
• Comparative assessment of ex vivo models versus in vivo models for antifungal drug efficacy testing.
• Synthesis of findings on counterpoints and concordances among different ex vivo models.

Main Results:

• Ex vivo models provide a viable alternative to in vivo studies, often circumventing ethical committee approvals.
• A wide array of ex vivo models exist for simulating fungal infections in nails, corneas, skin, and dentinal tubules.
• No established consensus exists on the most suitable ex vivo model for specific fungal infection types.

Conclusions:

• Ex vivo models are essential tools for antifungal drug discovery and development.
• A critical evaluation of ex vivo models is needed to establish best practices for antifungal candidate assessment.
• Further research and consensus-building are required to optimize the use of ex vivo models in antifungal research.