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Alternative Therapeutic Approaches of Candida Infections, 4th Edition
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Alternative Therapeutic Approaches of Candida Infections, 4th Edition

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 1070

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Renátó Kovács

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: biofilms; quorum-sensing; antifungal drugs; clinical mycology; alternative therapies; Candida spp.; fungal–bacterial interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Candida infections are considered a serious public health problem worldwide, especially in immunocompromised patient populations. In addition, the morbidity and mortality rate associated with these infections have not improved significantly over the past few years. The prevalence and incidence of infections caused by Candida species resistant to one or more first-line antifungals has been steadily increasing due to the widespread use of antifungal drugs in agriculture and both veterinary and human medicine. Moreover, biofilm production plays a pivotal role in resistance to traditional antifungals, restricting the proper choice of therapy. As the available antifungal agents are decreasing in efficacy, new innovative approaches have to be implemented in the future in order to eradicate these infections. Alternative therapies involve the administration of combination-based therapies, the usage of antifungal peptides and proteins, plant extracts or natural products, therapies disrupting quorum-sensing, and photodynamic therapy.

Dr. Renátó Kovács
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

  • Candida
  • in vitro and in vivo susceptibility
  • therapy
  • biofilms
  • combination
  • antifungals
  • quorum-sensing
  • natural products
  • antifungal peptides and proteins
  • photodynamic therapy
  • resistance
  • synergy
  • Candida auris
  • fluconazole-resistant Candida species
  • echinocandin resistance

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 5232 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Synergistic Activity of Antimicrobial Peptidomimetics or Colistin Sulphate with Conventional Antifungals Against Yeasts of Medical Importance
by Shyam Kumar Mishra, Rajesh Kuppusamy, Christina Nguyen, Jennifer Doeur, Harleen Atwal, Samuel Attard, Kristian Sørensen, Jennifer S. Lin, Edgar H. H. Wong, Alex Hui, Annelise E. Barron, Naresh Kumar and Mark Willcox
J. Fungi 2025, 11(5), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11050370 - 12 May 2025
Viewed by 549
Abstract
With rising multidrug-resistant yeast pathogens, conventional antifungals are becoming less effective, urging the need for adjuvants that enhance their activity at lower doses. This study evaluated the synergistic activity of antimicrobial peptidomimetics (TM8 and RK758) or colistin sulphate in combination with conventional antifungals [...] Read more.
With rising multidrug-resistant yeast pathogens, conventional antifungals are becoming less effective, urging the need for adjuvants that enhance their activity at lower doses. This study evaluated the synergistic activity of antimicrobial peptidomimetics (TM8 and RK758) or colistin sulphate in combination with conventional antifungals against Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Nakaseomyces glabratus, Pichia kudriavzevii and Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Candidozyma auris using the checkerboard microdilution test. RK758 was synergistic with fluconazole in 78% of isolates, with the remaining 22% of isolates still showing partial synergy; it showed synergy with amphotericin B in 56% of isolates, and with caspofungin, 78% of isolates exhibited either synergy or partial synergy. TM8 showed synergy with fluconazole in 44% (with partial synergy in another 44%) of isolates, with amphotericin B in 67% of isolates, and with caspofungin in 44% (with partial synergy in another 44%) of isolates. Colistin with fluconazole or caspofungin exhibited synergy or partial synergy in 56% of the isolates. No antagonism was observed in any of the combinations. Additionally, a time-kill assay further demonstrated synergistic activity between fluconazole and TM8 or RK758. The effects of these peptidomimetics on cell membrane integrity were demonstrated in an ergosterol binding assay, supported by SYTOX Green and cellular leakage assays, both indicating a lytic effect. These results suggest that peptidomimetics can synergise with conventional antifungals, offering a potential strategy for combination therapy against yeast infections. The membrane lytic activity of the peptidomimetics likely plays a role in their synergistic interaction with antifungals, thereby enhancing the antimicrobial activities of both compounds at sub-MIC levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Therapeutic Approaches of Candida Infections, 4th Edition)
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13 pages, 12905 KiB  
Article
Metabolic Influence of S. boulardii and S. cerevisiae in Cross-Kingdom Models of S. mutans and C. albicans
by Ting Li, Xingyi Lu, Yan Wu, Tongtong Wu and Jin Xiao
J. Fungi 2025, 11(4), 325; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11040325 - 19 Apr 2025
Viewed by 322
Abstract
Recent studies highlight the potential of Saccharomyces species as probiotics due to their ability to modulate microbial interactions and reduce cariogenic activity, yet the underlying metabolic mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates the cross-kingdom metabolic effects of Saccharomyces boulardii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on [...] Read more.
Recent studies highlight the potential of Saccharomyces species as probiotics due to their ability to modulate microbial interactions and reduce cariogenic activity, yet the underlying metabolic mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigates the cross-kingdom metabolic effects of Saccharomyces boulardii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the metabolic processes of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans using a metabolomics-based approach. Untargeted LC-MS/MS analysis was conducted to assess metabolites in a planktonic model, followed by metabolomic profiling and pathway analysis to identify key metabolic alterations. The results revealed that S. boulardii and S. cerevisiae demonstrated metabolic regulatory effects on S. mutans and C. albicans. Specifically, S. boulardii down-regulated 262 metabolites and up-regulated 168, while S. cerevisiae down-regulated 265 metabolites and up-regulated 168. Both yeast species down-regulated carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism in S. mutans and C. albicans, resulting in reduced biomolecule synthesis and a less acidic environment. S. boulardii and S. cerevisiae also up-regulated certain metabolic processes, including purine metabolism, suggesting a compensatory mechanism for nucleotide synthesis. Notably, dual regulatory effects were observed, where specific metabolites were simultaneously up-regulated and down-regulated, indicating complex metabolic crosstalk. These findings suggest that both S. boulardii and S. cerevisiae modulate microbial metabolism through a shared mechanism, offering potentials for dental caries prevention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Alternative Therapeutic Approaches of Candida Infections, 4th Edition)
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