In vitro activities of lipopeptides against fluconazole-resistant Candida auris

Candida auris has increasingly become a global threat due to its wide range of antifungal resistances as well as its ability to sustain outbreaks in clinical settings. Two lipopeptides, C14-NleRR-NH2 (Nel) and C14-WRR-NH2 (WR), were evaluated against six fluconazole-resistant C. auris isolates. Both molecules showed good antimicrobial activity as demonstrated by MIC determination, time-kill, and microscopy experiments. The peptides were able to inhibit fungal growth, while sub-MIC concentrations of the molecules delayed the growth. Moreover, the combinations of the two peptides with fluconazole demonstrated a reciprocal potentiation by checkerboard and time-kill experiments. Our results showed that antimicrobial peptides could be a promising option for the treatment of antifungal-resistant C. auris.