fungus-fighting nanoparticles tagged posts

Immune cells get transformed into fungus-fighting nanoparticles

Black circular blobs on a gray background.
Transmission electron microscopy image of the antifungal nanodiscs. Image courtesy of Liangfang Zhang lab

Tiny particles made from the membranes of human immune cells could offer a promising new way to fight fungal infections that are becoming harder to treat. Engineers at the University of California San Diego created antifungal nanoparticles that target Candida albicans, a fungus responsible for oral and vaginal yeast infections as well as life-threatening bloodstream infections. In mice with severe Candida infections, the nanoparticles greatly reduced the amount of fungus in major organs and significantly improved survival.

The research, published in Cell Biomaterials, was led by Liangfang Zhang, a professor in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineerin...

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