Effect of diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2 on biofilm formation by Candida albicans

• Grant number: 14/14148-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2014
• End date: October 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Medical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Maricilia Silva Costa
• Grantee: Marília Toledo Braga
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (IP&D). Universidade do Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal able to produces both superficial and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. It has been demonstrated that biofilms formed by Candida albicans are resistant to different antifungal drugs, therefore, the infections related to biofilm formation are, frequently, refractory to the conventional therapy. Thus, the development of more effective antifungal therapies, especially against infections associated to biofilm becomes vital. It has been demonstrated the ability of different organochalcogenide compounds to inhibit both growth and germ tube formation by Candida albicans. The objective of this work is to study the effect of the organochalcogenide compound (PhSe)2 on biofilm formation by Candida albicans.