Unveiling the mechanisms of synthetic compounds against Candida auris: An integrative review

Abstract

The multidrug-resistant fungal species Candida auris has drawn attention from across the world due to its capacity to elude traditional therapies and flourish in medical environments. Its resilience, which includes biofilm development and efflux-mediated drug resistance, highlighted the need for novel antifungal approaches. Despite advancements in antifungal therapeutics, the rising prevalence of resistance and limited antifungal arsenal demand ongoing research into novel and more effective treatments. To tackle this rising issue, the available literature suggests several approaches. Among those, the use of synthetic compounds (SCs) appears as first-line option. However, to prove the efficacy of these SCs against C. auris a complete coverage is still elusive in a single study. Thus, in this integrative review, we aimed to summarize the anti-C. auris SCs that are reported in literature. About 47 articles were included in this review using predefined selection criteria. Data were extracted for detailed reviews from PubMed, Google scholar and Science direct. All the included studies tested antifungal activities of the SCs and evaluated their mode of actions. These data highlighted diverse modes of action such as perturbation of biofilm formation, disruption of cell wall and organelles, inhibition of efflux and generation of reactive oxygen species to name few. Taken together, SCs represent viable candidates for effective antifungal treatment. The information gathered in the present study emphasizes the need for further investigations, including preclinical studies and clinical trials, to evaluate the therapeutic potential of these agents against C. auris.