Department of Microbiology & Immunology Seminar Series: “Yeast Wars: Drug Resistance Awakens in Candida auris”
Speaker: Milena Kordalewska
Research Assistant Member, Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation, New Jersey
Abstract:
Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant yeast recognized as a cause of invasive infections and health care-associated outbreaks worldwide. Outbreak response is complicated by limited treatment options (only three drug classes available) and diagnostic issues (misidentification, long turnaround time). We have defined factors contributing to antifungal drug resistance in C. auris by dissecting 1) the nature and frequencies of mutations leading to resistance; 2) correlations between gene mutations, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values, pharmacodynamic resistance, and clinical outcomes. To improve Candida auris diagnostics, we have translated our discoveries on drug resistance mechanisms into molecular-based assays that enable easy differentiation of wild-type (drug-susceptible) and mutant (drug-resistant) amplicons. Our diagnostic assays can be applied for high-throughput screening and provide information on isolates’ drug susceptibility much quicker than standard methods.