Multidrug resistance ATP-binding cassette membrane transporters as targets for improving oropharyngeal candidiasis treatment

Oropharyngeal candidiasis is caused by Candida sp., opportunistic yeasts that infect immunocompromised patients. Chemotherapies are based on antifungal drugs against which yeast overexpress and address to the plasma membrane ATP-binding cassette (ABC) pumps for expelling these drugs out of the cell. More critical—because these pumps translocate structurally unrelated drugs—they confer to the yeast a broad resistance to antifungals when expressed, hampering the efficacy of these treatments whatever the drug used. We review here the disease, its treatment, and the role played by multidrug resistance ABC, and strategies to overcome this problem.