Effect of photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) on Candida albicans and analyses of both biofilm viability and interaction with macrophages

• Grant number: 14/13686-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: June 01, 2015
• Status: Discontinued
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Maricilia Silva Costa
• Grantee: Nikele Nadur Andrade
• 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 shown that, comparing to the planktonic form, the C. albicans biofilms have different resistance to antifungal drugs and that infections related to biofilm formation are often refractory to conventional therapies. Therefore, the development of more effective antifungal therapies, especially against infections associated to biofilm becomes vital. Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is a potential antimicrobial therapy, which combines visible light and a nontoxic dye, known as a photosensitizer, producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can kill the treated cells. The photodynamic effects of different photosensitizer drugs on the pathogen Candida albicans has been demonstrated and the potential of PACT to promote microbial eradication is progressively more accepted. Thus, the objective of this project is to study the effect of PACT on biofilm formation by Candida albicans and the interaction with macrophages. (AU)