It has been well-known that the vast majority of life-threatening fungal infections affect people with altered immune function. Even though there has existed novel therapies, the clinical outcomes for most fungal infections are far from ideal. Obviously, the pace of antifungal drug development has not kept pace with the clinical needs. Creative Biolabs, a world leading CRO in the industry of drug discovery, now offers a full series of antifungal drug discovery services, especially for candidiasis.
What is Candidiasis?
Candidiasis, also called moniliasis or thrush, is a kind of yeast infection caused by yeasts that belong to the genus Candida. There exist over 20 species of Candida yeasts that can lead to infection in humans, among which the most common one is Candida albicans. Candida yeasts generally exist in the gastrointestinal tract (gut) and can also be found on skin, in mouth, on mucous membranes, and in the vagina (in the case of women), without causing infection. However, overgrowth of these microorganisms can result in symptoms to develop.
Fig.1 Dual life cycle of Candida albicans and its transition as commensal and virulent form. (Dadar, 2018)
Different Types of Candidiasis
There are several different types of candidiasis according to infectious organisms. The common types of Candida infections include:
Invasive candidiasis occurs when Candida yeasts invade into the bloodstream and spread throughout the whole body. Invasive candidiasis is a serious infection which can affect the heart, brain, blood, bones, eyes, and other parts of the body. This type is a common infection in hospitalized patients.
Candidiasis in the vagina is commonly called a “vaginal yeast infection.” This infection is also known as “vaginal candidiasis”, “candidal vaginitis” or “vulvovaginal candidiasis.” Vaginal candidiasis occurs when the environment inside the vagina changes in a way that encourages the growth of Candida yeasts.
Candidiasis in the mouth and throat is commonly known as thrush or oropharyngeal candidiasis. Candidiasis in the esophagus is known as Candida esophagitis or esophageal candidiasis. Candida esophagitis is one of the most common fungal infections in patients living with HIV/AIDS.
While Candida Albicans is the most common species that causes human candidiasis, other species include Candida Glabrata, Candida Parapsilosis, Candida Tropicalis, Candida Krusei, and Candida Auris.
Symptoms of Candidiasis
The symptoms of candidiasis are various depending on the infection site of the body. Signs and symptoms of thrush include white patches on the tongue or other areas of the mouth, throat, and esophagus. Other symptoms manifest as soreness and swallowing difficulty. When it infects the vagina, symptoms are demonstrated as genital itching, burning, and sometimes a white "cottage cheese-like" discharge from the vagina. The Candida infections are rarely invasive, which may cause fevers along with other symptoms depending on the infection parts involved.
Diagnosis and Antifungal Drugs for Candidiasis
Candidiasis is considered easy to identify since the yeast can be easily seen under the microscope after being scraped off the affected area. Sometimes the appearance of the rash may be enough to make a definite diagnosis. Treatments of candidiasis are generally determined based on the severity of patients' symptoms.
Antifungal Drug Discovery for Candidiasis at Creative Biolabs
Based on advanced technology platform and experienced scientific team, Creative Biolabs provides its clients with a broad portfolio of antifungal drug discovery services, including target identification and validation, Hit identification, Hit to lead, Lead optimization, as well as safety and efficacy testing and analysis. In addition to candidiasis, we also provide potential antifungal drug discovery services against other fungal diseases, which including but not limited to:
If you are interested in the fungal disease we investigate, please click the links above. For more detailed information, just feel free to contact us.
Reference
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