A Novel Small Molecule Inhibitor of Candida albicans Biofilm Formation, Filamentation and Virulence with Low Potential for the Development of Resistance.

Drugs that inhibit fungal biofilm and filament formation could offer a new strategy for treating fungal infections. Seeking new drugs that might inhibit Candida albicans biofilm formation—one of the most problematic aspects of infection by this fungus—Jose Lopez-Ribot and co-workers at the University of Texas at San Antonio, USA screened 20,000 compounds in a commercial library of medically relevant small molecules. They identified a series of diazaspiro-decane analogs that displayed a significant ability to inhibit biofilm formation in C. albicans cultures, and no evidence of resistance emerged during repeated exposure to the chemicals. This finding not only represents a promising lead for the development of new antifungal drugs, but also lends credence to a new “anti-virulence” approach to treating fungal infections, which is expected to minimize the emergence of resistant fungal strains.