NO Candida auris : Nitric Oxide in Nanotherapeutics to Combat Emerging Fungal Pathogen Candida auris .

Candida auris(C. auris) is an emerging pathogenic fungal species that is especially worrisome due to its high mortality rates and widespread antifungal resistance. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of nitric oxide (NO) nanoparticles onCandidaspecies, and, to our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the antifungal effects of a NO-generating nanoparticle onC. auris. SixC. aurisstrains were incubated with a nanoparticle (NAC-SNO-np), which releasesN-acetylcysteineS-nitrosothiol (NAC-SNO) andN-acetylcysteine (NAC), and generates NO, through colony forming unit (CFU) assays, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. NAC-SNO-np effectively eradicates planktonic and biofilmC. auris. Across all six strains, 10 mg/mL NAC-SNO-np significantly reduced the number of CFUs (p< 0.05) and demonstrated a >70% decrease in biofilm viability (p< 0.05). NAC-SNO-np effectively eradicates planktonicC. aurisand significantly reducesC. aurisbiofilm formation. Hence, this novel NO-releasing nanoparticle shows promise as a future therapeutic.