Recent advances in delivery of antifungal agents for therapeutic management of candidiasis

Abstract

Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by yeasts that belong to the genus Candida. There are over twenty species of Candida yeasts that can cause infection in humans, the most common of which is Candida albicans. Candida yeasts normally reside in the intestinal tract and can be found on mucous membranes and skin without causing infection; however, overgrowth of these organisms can cause symptoms to develop. Presence of other diseases that compromises the patient’s immunity makes it more difficult to treat. Candidiasis is majorly divided into superficial infections (oral or vaginal) and systemic infections, also known as invasive candidiasis. The conventional therapeutic modalities used to treat candidiasis are associated with several side effects that limits the dose and dosing frequency. Development of novel drug delivery systems for reduction in dose and alleviation of side effects is an important strategy to improve the clinical efficacy and patient acceptability. This review gives a bird’s eye view of the classification and current therapeutic regime of candidiasis. It presents the varied types of drug delivery systems that have been exploited for delivery of antifungal agents with measurable benefits. It also touches upon echinocandins a relatively new class of drugs that are amenable for translation into novel dosage forms with application against biofilm producing and fluconazole resistant strains contributing to a better therapeutic management of candidiasis.