ABSTRACT
Candida is a group of commensal fungi that inhabit various niches of the human body, including the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, vagina, and skin of healthy individuals. The major clinical problem associated with Candida biofilms is the high resistance to antifungal agents. The first report of higher antifungal resistance of Candida in the biofilm growth mode came from the work of Hawser and Douglas in 1995. One of the major factors contributing to the virulence of Candida is its versatility in adapting to a variety of different habitats for growth and formation of surface-attached microbial communities known as 'biofilms'. Biofilms are defined as surface-attached microbial communities encased in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and display phenotypic features that differ from those of their planktonic or free-floating counterparts. Candida biofilms are known to be highly resistant to existing antifungal agents. Therefore, greater understanding of Candida biofilm formation is necessary to develop novel therapeutic options.
