Driving drug resistance out of fungi

Candida albicans is a notorious human fungal pathogen that causes thrush and serious systemic infections. Opportunistic C. albicans fungi, which often live inconspicuously in the normal flora of human skin and gut, can switch from their harmless stealth mode to become aggressive pathogens, especially in people whose immune systems are already compromised by pre-existing diseases or harsh drug therapies. They can also form biofilms on medical devices, such as catheters and stents in the human body, leading to infections and sometimes death. The threat posed by both free and biofilm-bound forms of the pathogen is constantly growing, as virulent C. albicans strains are becoming increasingly resistant to the few drugs that are available to treat them.