Fungi-related illnesses are not widely appreciated, despite being highly prevalent worldwide. Fungi cause millions of infections annually, with numbers comparable to those of malaria and Tuberculosis infections. Around 90 % of all fungal infections in humans are due to four main Candida spp: C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis. Candidaemia has a mortality rate of 30–40 %, which is equal to, or higher, than the majority of bacteria-related infections. These pathogenic fungal cells are able to attach to materials surfaces (such as biomedical devices and implants), leading to biofilm formation and causing devastating health outcomes.
A limited number of strategies explore the fabrication and testing of antifungal materials and coatings. There is no current industrially viable solution to the problem of biofilms on materials surfaces. To address this issue, we have explored a novel approach towards elimination of fungal pathogens, which is based on a coating that consists of a highly chlorinated polymer thin film prepared by plasma polymerization.
Chlorinated plasma polymer coatings have recently been shown to be highly effective against certain prokaryotic (bacterial) cell types, preventing their attachment, seemingly by means of a contact-killing mode of action. Based on these results, we have investigated the ability of thin film coatings from chlorinated molecules to deter fungal colonization of Candida spp. on solid materials, by contact killing of fungal cells that reach the surface of the coating.
Key questions arising concern the detailed mechanism of interaction between fungal cells and materials surfaces upon contact with one another, including adherence of fungal cells to chlorinated plasma polymer coatings, and mechanisms of killing. We outline the strategies designed to answer these questions. Importantly, we show that our chlorinated plasma polymer coatings successfully kill Candida spp. and prevent fungal colonization, shedding light on a potentially industrially viable solution to the problem of fungal biofilms on materials surfaces.