[Activity of micafungin against Candida biofilms].
BACKGROUND
Most recalcitrant infections are associated to colonization and microbial biofilm development. These biofilms are difficult to eliminate by the immune response mechanisms and the current antimicrobial therapy.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the antifungal of micafungin against fungal biofilms based in the scientific and medical literature of recent years.


METHODS
We have done a bibliographic retrieval using the scientific terms "micafungin", "activity", "biofilm", "Candida", "Aspergillus", "fungi", "mycos"*, susceptibility, in PubMed/Medline from the National Library of Medicine from 2006 to 2009.


RESULTS
Most current antifungal agents (amphotericin B and fluconazole) and the new azole antifungals have no activity against fungal biofilms. However, micafungin and the rest of echinocandins are very active against Candida albicans, Candida dubliniensis, Candida glabrata, and Candida krusei biofilms but their activities are variable and less strong against Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis biofilms. Moreover, they have not activities against the biofilms of Cryptococcus y Trichosporon.


CONCLUSIONS
The activity of micafungin against Candida biofilms gives more strength to its therapeutic indication for candidaemia and invasive candidiasis associated to catheter, prosthesis and other biomedical devices.
Quindós
Guillermo
G
Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Vizcaya, España. guillermo.quindos@ehu.es
Villar-Vidal
María
M
Eraso
Elena
E
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000187:drug effects; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D026141:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Fungal; D054714:Echinocandins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D055666:Lipopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077551:Micafungin; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D013045:Species Specificity
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D054714:Echinocandins; D055666:Lipopeptides; D000077551:Micafungin