Advances in medicine have resulted in the discovery and implementation of treatments for human disease. While these recent advances have been beneficial, procedures such as solid-organ transplants and cancer treatments have left many patients in an immunocompromised state. Furthermore, the emergence of immunocompromising diseases such as HIV/AIDS or other immunosuppressive medical conditions have opened an opportunity for fungal infections to afflict patients globally. The development of drug resistance in human-pathogenic fungi and the limited array of antifungal drugs has left us in a scenario where we need to develop new therapeutic approaches to treat fungal infections that are less prone to the development of resistance by pathogenic fungi. The significance of our work lies in utilizing a novel nanoemulsion formulation to treat topical fungal infections while minimizing risks of drug resistance development.

31The emergence of immunocompromising diseases such as HIV/AIDS or other 32 immunosuppressive medical conditions have opened an opportunity for fungal infections to 33 afflict patients globally. An increase antifungal drug resistant fungi have posed a serious threat 34 to patients. Combining these circumstances with a limited variety of antifungal drugs available to 35 treat patients has left us in a situation where we need to develop new therapeutic approaches 36 that are less prone to development of resistance by pathogenic fungi. In this study we present 37 the utilization of the nanoemulsion NB-201 to control human pathogenic fungi. We found that 38 the NB-201 exhibited in vitro activity against C. albicans, including both planktonic growth and 39 biofilms. Furthermore, treatments with NB-201 significantly reduced the fungal burden at the 40 infection site and presented enhanced healing process after subcutaneous infections by multi-41 drug resistant C. albicans in a murine host system. NB-201 also exhibited in vitro growth 42 inhibition activity against other fungal pathogens, including Cryptococcus spp, Aspergillus 43 fumigatus, and Mucorales. Due to the nature of the activity of this nanoemulsion, there is a 44 minimized chance of drug resistance to develop, thus presents a novel treatment to control 45 fungal wound or skin infections. 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53