title: Biomaterials surfaces capable of resisting fungal attachment and biofilm formation.
abstract: Microbial attachment onto biomedical devices and implants leads to biofilm formation and infection; such biofilms can be bacterial, fungal, or mixed. In the past 15 years, there has been an increasing research effort into antimicrobial surfaces but the great majority of these publications present research on bacteria, with some reports also testing resistance to fungi. Very few studies have focused exclusively on antifungal surfaces. However, with increasing recognition of the importance of fungal infections to human health, particularly related to infections at biomaterials, it would seem that the interest in antifungal surfaces is disproportionately low. In studies of both bacteria and fungi, fungi tend to be the minor focus with hypothesized antibacterial mechanisms of action often generalized to also explain the antifungal effect. Yet bacteria and fungi represent two Distinct biological Domains and possess substantially different cellular physiology and structure. Thus it is questionable whether these generalizations are valid. Here we review the scientific literature focusing on surface coatings prepared with antifungal agents covalently attached to the biomaterial surface. We present a critical analysis of generalizations and their evidence. This review should be of interest to researchers of "antimicrobial" surfaces by addressing specific issues that are key to designing and understanding antifungal biomaterials surfaces and their putative mechanisms of action.
authors.affiliation: The Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia. Electronic address: bryan.coad@unisa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Bryan R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Coad
authors.affiliation: National Mycology Reference Centre, SA Pathology at the Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, SA 5006, Australia; School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kidd
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: The Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia.
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Griesser
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D001672:Biocompatible Materials
keywords: Antifungal; Antimicrobial; Biomaterials; Fungus; Immobilization; Mold; Mycology; Review; Surface; Yeast