Targeting the Candida albicans agglutinin-like sequence 3 adhesin to disrupt oral polymicrobial bacterial–fungal biofilms: mechanisms and therapeutic strategies

Abstract

glucosyltransferases is examined in detail. Emergent properties of Als3-dependent oral co-biofilms, including elevated antimicrobial tolerance, architectural complexity, metabolic interdependence, and interkingdom signaling amplification, are analyzed. Therapeutic strategies reviewed include the NDV-3A recombinant vaccine, anti-Als3 monoclonal antibodies, peptide-based competitive inhibitors, and small-molecule antagonists that bind the Als3 N-terminal domain. Als3 acts at the interface between bacteria and fungi. Because of this, it is one of the few targets for which a single treatment can act on both the fungal and bacterial components of these hard-to-treat oral biofilms at once.