Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest
References
- 1. . Therapies and vaccines based on nanoparticles for the treatment of systemic fungal infections. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. 10, 463 (2020). • In this review paper, Kischkel et al. discussed several studies of micro- and nanodrug delivery systems as therapeutic options for the treatment of and vaccination against several fungal infections. The authors had the opportunity to discuss a broader variety of formulations and their applicability focused on major fungal pathogens, making this review paper a must read for any investigator interested in the potential of nanotechnology for treatment and prevention of fungal infections.
- 2. . Antifungal agents: spectrum of activity, pharmacology, and clinical indications. Infect. Dis. Clin. North Am. 30(1), 51–83 (2016).
- 3. . Fungal diseases: could nanostructured drug delivery systems be a novel paradigm for therapy? Int. J. Nanomed. 11, 3715–3730 (2016).
- 4. . Nitric oxide releasing nanoparticle synthesis and characterization. Methods Mol. Biol. Clifton NJ. 704, 187–195 (2011).
- 5. Topical nitric oxide releasing nanoparticles are effective in a murine model of dermal Trichophyton rubrum dermatophytosis. Nanomed. Nanotechnol. Biol. Med. 13(7), 2267–2270 (2017).
- 6. . Amphotericin B and curcumin co-loaded porous microparticles as a sustained release system against Candida albicans. Mol. Basel Switz. 27(10), 3079 (2022).
- 7. Amphotericin B releasing nanoparticle topical treatment of Candida spp. in the setting of a burn wound. Nanomed. Nanotechnol. Biol. Med. 10(1), 269–277 (2014).
- 8. . Sustained release nitric oxide from long-lived circulating nanoparticles. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 49(4), 530–538 (2010).
- 9. Sustained release nitric oxide releasing nanoparticles: characterization of a novel delivery platform based on nitrite containing hydrogel/glass composites. Nitric Oxide Biol. Chem. 19(1), 12–20 (2008).
- 10. . Synthesis, morphology and antifungal activity of nano-particulated amphotericin-B, ketoconazole and thymoquinone against Candida albicans yeasts and Candida biofilm. J. Environ. Sci. Health Part A Tox. Hazard. Subst. Environ. Eng. 50(2), 119–124 (2015).
- 11. . In vitro antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles against fluconazole-resistant Candida species. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 31(11), 1801–1809 (2015).
- 12. Silver chitosan nanocomposites as a potential treatment for superficial candidiasis. Med. Mycol. 59(10), 993–1005 (2021). • Investigated the antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their functionalization in a chitosan matrix. AgNPs were synthesized through an eco-friendly method and their functionalization greatly reduced the cytotoxicity displayed in previous works. They also demonstrated antifungal effect in vivo in a murine model of cutaneous candidiasis and anti-biofilm effect in vitro, suggesting that this particle is a viable candidate for an effective topical treatment of superficial candidiasis.
- 13. . Potential application of gaseous nitric oxide as a topical antimicrobial agent. Nitric Oxide Biol. Chem. 14(1), 21–29 (2006).
- 14. . Topically applied nitric oxide induces T-lymphocyte infiltration in human skin, but minimal inflammation. J. Invest. Dermatol. 128(2), 352–360 (2008).
- 15. Nitric oxide releasing nanoparticles for treatment of Candida albicans burn infections. Front. Microbiol. 3 (2012). https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2012.00193
- 16. Sustained nitric oxide-releasing nanoparticles induce cell death in Candida albicans yeast and hyphal cells, preventing biofilm formation in vitro and in a rodent central venous catheter model. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 60(4), 2185–2194 (2016).
- 17. Nitric oxide releasing nanoparticles as a strategy to improve current onychomycosis treatments. J. Drugs Dermatol. JDD. 17(7), 717–720 (2018).
- 18. Nitric oxide-releasing nanoparticles are similar to efinaconazole in their capacity to eradicate Trichophyton rubrum biofilms. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. 11, 684150 (2021). •• Investigates the potential of nitric oxide-releasing nanoparticles (NO-NPs) in the context of onychomycosis. Most frequently caused by dermatophytes, onychomycosis usually requires a prolonged treatment that is associated to the biofilm formation phenotype of this fungi. The authors performed an in vitro evaluation of the anti-biofilm activity of NO-NPs against T. rubrum and compared its efficacy with commonly used antifungal drugs such as fluconazole, terbinafine and efinaconazole. Their results proved the potential of NO-NPs against Trichophyton rubrum and that its efficacy was similar to efinaconazole.
- 19. . NO Candida auris: nitric oxide in nanotherapeutics to combat emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris. J. Fungi. 6(2), 85 (2020). •• Investigated the potential of NO-NPs as an antifungal agent against the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris. This paper is of fundamental importance because it is, to our knowledge, the first and only study so far to evaluate the effect NO-NPs against C. auris, a novel multi-resistant human pathogen. Although further research in the field is needed, this study successful demonstrates the potential of NO-NPs as a therapeutic option against C. auris.
- 20. . Nitric oxide-loaded nano- and microparticle platforms serving as potential new antifungal therapeutics. Fungal Biol. (2023). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878614623000077