Nitric oxide-loaded nano- and microparticle platforms serving as potential new antifungal therapeutics

Fungal diseases are a leading threat to human health, especially in individuals with compromised immunity. Although there have been recent important advances in antifungal drug development, antifungal resistance, drug-drug interactions and difficulties in delivery remain major challenges. Among its pleiotropic actions, nitric oxide (NO) is a key molecule in host defense. We have developed a flexible nanoparticle platform that delivers sustained release of NO and have demonstrated the platform's efficacy against diverse bacteria as well as some fungal species. In this work, we investigate the effects of two NO-releasing particles against a panel of important human yeast. Our results demonstrate that the compounds are both effective against diverse yeast, including ascomycota and basidiomycota species, and that NO-releasing particles may be a potent addition to our armamentarium for the treatment of focal and disseminated mycoses.