Potential Targets for Antifungal Drug Discovery Based on Growth and Virulence in Candida albicans

Abstract

ABSTRACTFungal infections, especially infections caused byCandida albicans, remain a challenging problem in clinical settings. Despite the development of more-effective antifungal drugs, their application is limited for various reasons. Thus, alternative treatments with drugs aimed at novel targets inC. albicansare needed. Knowledge of growth and virulence in fungal cells is essential not only to understand their pathogenic mechanisms but also to identify potential antifungal targets. This article reviews the current knowledge of the mechanisms of growth and virulence inC. albicansand examines potential targets for the development of new antifungal drugs.