Study of the mechanisms of Candida auris colonization in in vivo and ex vivo models and application of control strategies

• Grant number: 24/18296-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 29, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy
• Principal Investigator: Maria José Soares Mendes Giannini
• Grantee: Débora Silva Marques de Sousa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Candida auris was first identified in 2009 in Japan and has since been found on every continent, becoming a serious public health concern due to outbreaks in healthcare facilities and its rapid ability to develop resistance to available antifungal drugs. Unlike other Candida species, which preferentially colonize mucous membranes and the gastrointestinal tract, C. auris shows tropism for the skin, mainly colonizing hands, nostrils, armpits, and groin, where it persists for long periods. It also remains on abiotic surfaces, facilitating transmission between patients and healthcare professionals. The yeast also has the ability to form biofilms during skin colonization. These structures are more resistant to treatments compared to planktonic cells, and there are still no adequate protocols for the decolonization of C. auris from the skin. Given this scenario, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms of skin colonization by the yeast, which could potentially provide new effective strategies for controlling infections in healthcare settings. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the mechanisms of C. auris colonization in reconstituted skin models and spheroids, conduct differential transcriptome analysis between cells in in vitro and ex vivo models, analyze the expression of differentially expressed genes via real-time PCR in these models, as well as perform antifungal sensitivity assays in vitro and under colonization conditions.