Candidiasis, which includes both superficial infections and invasive disease, is the most common cause of fungal infection worldwide. Candida bloodstream infections (BSI) cause significant mortality and elicit a major threat to intensive care unit (ICU) patients [1]. The annual global burden of Candida spp. BSIs is about 400,000 cases, with most cases reported from the developed world. Although...

The majority of invasive mold infections diagnosed in immunocompromised cancer patients include invasive aspergillosis (IA) and mucormycosis. Despite timely and effective therapy, mortality remains considerable. Antifungal agents currently available for the management of these serious infections include triazoles, polyenes, and echinocandins. Until recently, posaconazole has been the only triaz...

OBJECTIVES Candida albicans is the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans, causing a wide range of infections from harmless superficial to severe systemic infections. Improvement of the antifungal arsenal is needed since existing antifungals can be associated with limited efficacy, toxicity and antifungal resistance. Here we aimed to identify compounds that act synergistically with echinocand...

Candida parapsilosis is considered to be a complex of three species due to genetic heterogeneity. Currently, it is the second most isolated yeast in bloodstream infections and oral cavity sites with C. parapsilosis sensu stricto and C. metapsilosis being the species mostly recovered from oral niches in both healthy and immunecompromised patients respectively. Disparity in antifungal susceptibil...

Two recent papers in Critical Care discuss the use of echinocandins in general [1], and anidulafungin in particular [2], during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Being highly protein bound and predominantly nonrenally eliminated drugs, echinocandins are barely removed by convection and thus require no dose adjustment during CRRT. Based on scarce literature data, González de Molina an...

BACKGROUND Saprochaete capitata (formerly known as Geotrichum capitatum and Blastoschizomyces capitatus) is a ubiquitous fungus found in soil, water, air, plants and dairy products. It colonizes the skin, and bronchial and intestinal tract of healthy people producing serious opportunistic infections in patients with haematological malignancies, especially in those with acute leukaemia. Since 19...

Candida infections continue to play a significant role not only in critically ill and immunocompromised patients but also in non-compromised patients. The incidence of systemic fungal infections in the United States has been on the rise for the past 30 years. Anidulafungin and all echinocandins inhibit glucan synthase thus inhibiting the formation of 1,3-β-D-glucan which is an essential compone...

This study addresses the effects of micafungin, caspofungin, and anidulafungin against Candida albicans biofilms developed in a subcutaneous catheter rat model system. Doses of 5, 10, and 30 mg/kg (of body weight)/day (the last only for micafungin) were given intravenously for 5, 7, and 10 days. All three echinocandins caused a significant reduction of the Candida cell numbers on the implanted ...

In vitro testing of Aspergillus fumigatus susceptibility to echinocandins has always been a challenge. Using a simple and quick colorimetric method to analyze the activity of inhibitors of β-1,3-glucan synthesis, we found that the composition of the culture medium significantly influences glucan synthesis and consequently the antifungal properties of inhibitors of β-1,3-glucan synthesis when th...

This Special Issue is designed to highlight the latest research and development on new antifungal compounds with mechanisms of action different from the ones of polyenes, azoles, and echinocandins. The papers presented here highlight new pathways and targets that could be exploited for the future development of new antifungal agents to be used alone or in combination with existing antifungals. ...