Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Candida albicans Biofilm Development on Medically-relevant Foreign Bodies in a Mouse Subcutaneous Model Followed by Bioluminescence Imaging
08:31

Candida albicans Biofilm Development on Medically-relevant Foreign Bodies in a Mouse Subcutaneous Model Followed by Bioluminescence Imaging

Published on: January 27, 2015

12.9K

Biofilm-Associated Candidiasis: Pathogenesis, Prevalence, Challenges and Therapeutic Options

Valerie Amann1, Ann-Kathrin Kissmann1, Carolina Firacative2

  • 1Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 26, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Fungal infections, particularly from Candida species, cause 1.5 million deaths yearly. This review explores biofilms and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as novel treatments against drug-resistant Candida strains.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology and Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • * Rising global incidence of fungal infections, especially invasive Candida species, leading to significant mortality.
  • * Candida auris, Candida albicans, and Candida parapsilopsis are key pathogens with increasing antifungal resistance.
  • * Microbial biofilms exacerbate infections and treatment challenges due to enhanced pathogen resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To comparatively review microbial biofilm formation in bacterial and fungal pathogens.
  • * To highlight the challenges posed by Candida infections and their virulence factors.
  • * To explore novel therapeutic strategies, focusing on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).

Main Methods:

  • * Comprehensive literature review on Candida species, biofilm formation, and antifungal resistance.
  • * Comparative analysis of bacterial and fungal biofilm structures and functions.
  • * Examination of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as potential anti-biofilm agents.

Main Results:

  • * Biofilms significantly increase resistance to conventional antifungal drugs (polyenes, azoles, echinocandins).
  • * Emerging Candida species like C. auris exhibit high pathogenic potential and drug resistance.
  • * Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as Pom-1 and Cm-p5, show promise with unique mechanisms and low cytotoxicity.

Conclusions:

  • * Candida biofilms present a major hurdle in treating invasive fungal infections.
  • * Novel therapeutic agents, particularly AMPs, offer a promising avenue against resistant Candida strains.
  • * Further research into AMPs is crucial for developing effective treatments for life-threatening fungal infections.
Keywords:
C. albicansC. aurisC. parapsilosisCandidaanti-biofilmantimicrobial peptidesbiofilmcandidiasisfungicidesresistance

More Related Videos

Visualization of Biofilm Formation in Candida albicans Using an Automated Microfluidic Device11:14

Visualization of Biofilm Formation in Candida albicans Using an Automated Microfluidic Device

Published on: December 14, 2017

10.5K
A Soluble Tetrazolium-Based Reduction Assay to Evaluate the Effect of Antibodies on Candida tropicalis Biofilms06:50

A Soluble Tetrazolium-Based Reduction Assay to Evaluate the Effect of Antibodies on Candida tropicalis Biofilms

Published on: September 16, 2022

3.0K

Related Concept Videos

Biofilms01:29

Biofilms

Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular polysaccharide matrix attached to surfaces. These microbial consortia can include single or multiple species, providing enhanced survival benefits by forming organized, multilayered structures.The formation of biofilms occurs through four key stages: attachment, colonization, development, and dispersal.During attachment, free-swimming planktonic cells adhere to a surface, often facilitated by...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Colonisation of Pathogens01:25

Colonisation of Pathogens

Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...
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...