Emerging Yeast Pathogens: Exploring the Potential Role of Antifungal Peptides and Peptide-Based Antifungal Therapeutics

Fungal pathogens are a growing public health problem. Antifungal molecules have been used over the decades to treat fungal infections by disrupting the growth and survival of fungal cells. Despite the advances in antifungal drug discovery and manufacture, the profound impact of pathogenic fungi on global human health has persisted on a background of a growing prevalence of antifungal-resistant infections and the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. This review was based on high-impact articles that had a solid methodology and current data on emerging fungal pathogens and their drug resistance profile. These pathogens include Candida auris, the Candida haemulonii complex and Candida khanbhai, which are not only difficult to treat but also cannot be easily diagnosed with standard laboratory methods. We also contextualise the public impact of these multidrug-resistant fungi. We examine experimentally characterised and proposed mechanisms of AFP activity, including membrane perturbation, interactions with fungus-specific membrane components, intracellular effects, immunomodulation and effects on cell-wall homeostasis. We distinguish these mechanisms from direct β-1,3-glucan synthase and chitin synthase inhibition, which are more firmly established for other peptide-derived antifungal compounds. Finally, we spotlight the unique role of antifungal peptides in managing infections caused by such fungi.