Exploring the Potential of Covalent Organic Frameworks to Combat Candida albicans Biofilm Formation and Persistence

The recent advancements in nanotechnology have brought about significant improvements and transformations in the field of biomedicine, particularly in the areas of biodetection, drug delivery, and diagnostic imaging. Among the various materials being developed, porous crystalline polymers have shown great promise for these applications. Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) have been attractive because of their very high porosity, extended surface area, and thermal stability, making them very promising in the development of antimicrobial and antifungal therapies. In the present study, we successfully synthesized and characterized the Covalent Triazine Framework (CTF) to examine its potential as an antifungal agent against Candida albicans. The synthesized CTF-III has very low levels of toxicity and demonstrates antifungal activity with MIC values ranging between 0.2 and 0.4 mg/mL against various strains of C. albicans. Furthermore, CTF-III effectively eliminates established biofilms at concentrations as low as 0.2 mg/mL. Moreover, CTF-III exhibits impressive efficacy in targeting persister cells within the biofilms, which are highly resistant to conventional antifungal treatments available in the market. CTF-III is a promising material for improving biological applications, such as coatings for medical devices and drug delivery systems, due to its stability, biocompatibility, and mechanical properties. Additionally, this material has the potential to lead to the development of antifungal agents and help address the challenges posed by emerging resistance to antifungals.