Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Candida auris: Antifungal Effects and Molecular Mechanisms

Multidrug-resistant Candida auris is a major clinical challenge due to its ability to persist in hospital environments and resist standard antifungal treatments. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) offers a promising alternative, but its mechanisms require further exploration. This study investigates the antifungal effects of PDT using a murine skin infection model and analyzes its impact on fungal chromatin organization and immune responses through high-throughput sequencing and immune profiling. PDT effectively reduced C. auris burden, promoted wound healing, and modulated host immune responses. Chromatin analysis revealed genome-wide remodeling, affecting mitochondrial metabolism and biofilm formation. PDT functions through a dual mechanism of direct fungal eradication and host immune activation while inducing chromatin alterations that impair fungal survival. These findings highlight PDT as a viable therapeutic strategy against drug-resistant fungal infections.