Using light to treat fungal infections: photodynamic therapy as an alternative technology to overcome candidiasis

Worldwide, the mortality rate of fungal infections is overstepping that of malaria and breast cancer, but they remain neglected by private and public health systems. Candidiasis has been described as the 7th most common bloodstream infection in Brazilian hospitalized patients. Recurrent superficial forms of candidiasis can lead to disfiguration, disability, and can potentially become systemic and lethal. There is a limited number of antifungal drugs available and the increase of antifungal resistance highlights the urgency to develop alternative technologies to treat fungal infections. In this scenario, photodynamic inactivation (PDI) arises as a promising therapeutic approach to treat candidiasis as there is no report of microbial resistance to PDI. The establishment of PDI as a treatment for superficial candidiasis will reduce the exposure of many patients to antifungal drugs and prevent the emergence and spreading of more resistant Candida strains. We aim to establish a PDI protocol to treat candidiasis.