Alginate-Based 3D A549 Cell Culture Model to Study Paracoccidioides Infection

Three-dimensional lung parenchyma model for studies of Aspergillus fumigatus infection and antifungal treatment

Aim: This work aims to standardize the three-dimensional hydroxyethyl-alginate-gelatin (HAG) scaffold as a model to evaluate Aspergillus fumigatus biofilm and antifungal treatments. Methods: The scaffold was characterized by physical, rheological and microscopic analyses; the antibiofilm action was evaluated by determination of cfu and metabolic activity. Results: The scaffold was non-toxic showing stability in aqueous media, swelling capacity, elasticity and had homogeneously distributed pores averaging 190 μm. The A. fumigatus biofilm established itself very well on the scaffold and treatment with amphotericin B and voriconazole reduced viable cells and metabolic activity. Conclusion: The HAG scaffold proved to be a model to mimic lung parenchyma, suitable for establishing a 3D biofilm culture of A. fumigatus and evaluating the efficacy of antifungals.

Silver(I) complexes containing antifungal azoles: significant improvement of the anti-Candida potential of the azole drug after its coordination to the silver(I) ion

Inspired by the emergence of resistance to currently available antifungal therapy and by the great potential of metal complexes for the treatment of various diseases, we synthesized three new silver(I) complexes containing clinically used antifungal azoles as ligands, [Ag(ecz)2]SbF6 (1, ecz is econazole), {[Ag(vcz)2]SbF6}n (2, vcz is voriconazole), and [Ag(ctz)2]SbF6 (3, ctz is clotrimazole), and investigated their antimicrobial properties. The synthesized complexes were characterized by mass spectrometry, IR, UV-vis and 1H NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In the mononuclear complexes 1 and 3 with ecz and ctz, respectively, the silver(I) ion has the expected linear geometry, in which the azoles are monodentately coordinated to this metal center through the N3 imidazole nitrogen atom. In contrast, the vcz-containing complex 2 has a polymeric structure in the solid state in which the silver(I) ions are coordinated by four nitrogen atoms in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. DFT calculations were done to predict the most favorable structures of the studied complexes in DMSO solution. All the studied silver(I) complexes have shown excellent antifungal and good to moderate antibacterial activities with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values in the ranges of 0.01-27.1 and 2.61-47.9 μM on the selected panel of fungi and bacteria, respectively. Importantly, the complexes 1-3 have exhibited a significantly improved antifungal activity compared to the free azoles, with the most pronounced effect observed in the case of complex 2 compared to the parent vcz against Candida glabrata with an increase of activity by five orders of magnitude. Moreover, the silver(I)-azole complexes 2 and 3 significantly inhibited the formation of C. albicans hyphae and biofilms at the subinhibitory concentration of 50% MIC. To investigate the impact of the complex 3 more thoroughly on Candida pathogenesis, its effect on the adherence of C. albicans to A549 cells (human adenocarcinoma alveolar basal epithelial cells), as an initial step of the invasion of host cells, was studied.

Alternative Non-Mammalian Animal and Cellular Methods for the Study of Host-Fungal Interactions

In the study of fungal pathogenesis, alternative methods have gained prominence due to recent global legislation restricting the use of mammalian animals in research. The principle of the 3 Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement) is integrated into regulations and guidelines governing animal experimentation in nearly all countries. This principle advocates substituting vertebrate animals with other invertebrate organisms, embryos, microorganisms, or cell cultures. This review addresses host-fungus interactions by employing three-dimensional (3D) cultures, which offer more faithful replication of the in vivo environment, and by utilizing alternative animal models to replace traditional mammals. Among these alternative models, species like Caenorhabditis elegans and Danio rerio share approximately 75% of their genes with humans. Furthermore, models such as Galleria mellonella and Tenebrio molitor demonstrate similarities in their innate immune systems as well as anatomical and physiological barriers, resembling those found in mammalian organisms.