Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Quantifying the Antifungal Activity of Peptides Against Candida albicans
06:45

Quantifying the Antifungal Activity of Peptides Against Candida albicans

Published on: January 13, 2023

2.2K

Combatting Fungal Infections: Advances in Antifungal Polymeric Nanomaterials

Sebastian Schaefer1,2,3,4, Nathaniel Corrigan1,2, Sascha Brunke4

  • 1School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.

Biomacromolecules
|August 23, 2024
PubMed

Insights

New polymeric nanomaterials offer hope against life-threatening fungal infections. These advanced materials, including nanoparticles and intrinsically antifungal polymers, show promise in overcoming drug resistance and improving treatment outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Polymer Science
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Fungal infections cause millions of severe illnesses annually with high mortality rates.
  • Existing antifungal drugs face limitations due to increasing resistance and narrow efficacy.
  • The World Health Organization highlights the critical need for novel antifungal therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current state of fungal infections and antifungal drug development.
  • To explore the potential of synthetic polymeric nanomaterials in antifungal therapy.
  • To examine intrinsically antifungal polymers as a new class of therapeutic agents.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on fungal infections and antifungal agents.
  • Focus on synthetic polymeric nanomaterials (e.g., nanoparticles) for drug delivery.
  • Investigation of intrinsically antifungal polymers mimicking natural peptides.

Main Results:

  • Polymeric nanomaterials can enhance the properties of existing antifungal drugs.
  • Intrinsically antifungal polymers demonstrate potential as novel therapeutic agents.
  • Advances in polymer science enable precise design and screening for antifungal applications.

Conclusions:

  • Synthetic polymeric nanomaterials and intrinsically antifungal polymers represent a promising frontier in combating fungal infections.
  • These novel materials offer potential solutions to overcome antifungal drug resistance.
  • Further research and development in polymer-based antifungal agents are warranted.

More Related Videos

Antimicrobial Characterization of Advanced Materials for Bioengineering Applications08:08

Antimicrobial Characterization of Advanced Materials for Bioengineering Applications

Published on: August 4, 2018

22.0K
Broth Microdilution In Vitro Screening: An Easy and Fast Method to Detect New Antifungal Compounds08:54

Broth Microdilution In Vitro Screening: An Easy and Fast Method to Detect New Antifungal Compounds

Published on: February 14, 2018

18.8K

Related Concept Videos

Candidiasis01:20

Candidiasis

Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by opportunistic species of Candida. It can affect various anatomical sites, including the skin, oral cavity, nails, and genitourinary tract. Among its forms, vaginal candidiasis is the most common type of mucosal infection. It typically results from the overgrowth of Candida albicans in the vaginal mucosa. Under normal conditions, C. albicans exists as a commensal organism within the vaginal microbiota, regulated by the dominance of lactobacilli, which...
Microbial Corrosion01:24

Microbial Corrosion

Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) is a significant form of material degradation caused by the metabolic activities of microorganisms. This phenomenon poses substantial challenges across various industries, including oil and gas, maritime, and water treatment sectors.MIC occurs when microorganisms, such as bacteria, archaea, and fungi, colonize metal surfaces, forming biofilms that alter the local electrochemical environment. These biofilms can lead to the production of corrosive...
Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Site-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Polymeric Carriers01:24

Site-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: Polymeric Carriers

Polymeric carriers enhance targeted drug delivery by increasing efficacy while minimizing off-target effects. These carriers comprise a biodegradable polymeric backbone integrated with functional elements that enable targeting, improve physicochemical properties, and regulate drug release.Targeting MechanismsThe targeting ability of polymeric carriers is mediated by a homing device, which is a molecular recognition component designed to selectively bind to specific tissues or cells. Monoclonal...