Fighting fungal infections: Giant leaps for smart nanotech

They're roughly the same size as a coronavirus particle, and 1000 times smaller than a human hair, yet newly engineered nanoparticles developed by scientists at the University of South Australia, are punching well above their weight when it comes to treating drug-resistant fungal infections.

Created in partnership with Monash University, the new nanobiotechnology (called "micelles") has a remarkable ability to battle one of the most invasive and notoriously resistant fungal infections – Candida albicans. Micelles are made of lipid molecules that arrange themselves in a spherical form in aqueous solutions. They both attract and repel liquids, making them particularly well suited for drug delivery.

Senior investigator, UniSA's Professor Clive Prestidge says the new polymer-based micelles could revolutionize current anti-fungal medicines. "Managing and treating invasive fungal infections is particularly challenging because so many fungal biofilms are resistant to contemporary antifungal drugs," Prof. Prestidge says.

"Our research has identified and developed smart micelles that have the ability to break down single and multi-species biofilms to significantly inhibit the growth of Candida albicans, one of the most virulent fungal species. "We estimate that the new micelles could improve the efficacy of anti-fungal medicines by 100-fold, potentially saving the lives of millions of people worldwide."