Candida albicans biofilm as a clinical challenge

Abstract

Candida albicans is a unicellular eukaryote commonly found in humans as a part of the microbiome, but it may cause infections under immune-suppressed conditions. C. albicans is seen in different parts of the body like gastrointestinal tract, urinogenital tract, and oral cavity. The infections caused by C. albicans, collectively referred as candidiasis, may vary from superficial skin infections to life-threatening systemic infections. In women, vulvovaginal candidiasis is caused by Candida albicans and other species in the vagina and it may affect the quality of life. Virulence factors of C. albicans include morphological switching, biofilm formation, secretion of hydrolytic enzymes, stress adaptation during infection, and formation of invasive filaments. Biofilm-related infections are a major threat to human health because the biofilms are highly resistant to antifungals. Candida albicans can develop biofilms on various medical prosthetic devices like heart valves, pacemakers, dentures, prosthetic joints, intrauterine devices, and catheters. Biofilms are complex three-dimensional structures consisting of yeast and hyphal form enclosed in a self-produced extracellular polymeric matrix making them inaccessible to antibiotics and host defense. Biofilm eradication is a major challenge for drug developers.