A study of Candida auris , a fungus associated with difficult-to-treat hospital infections, has identified a metabolic signature linked to patient survival. Isolates from patients who died showed altered purine metabolism and greater sensitivity to compounds that interfere with this pathway in laboratory experiments. The findings point to a possible biological vulnerability for further antifungal research.
The research team included Mohammad T. Al Bataineh at Yarmouk University and Halima Al Naqbi at Khalifa University of Science and Technology, with colleagues from the University of Sharjah and University Hospital Sharjah. The study examined blood-culture isolates from 44 patients at University Hospital Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates: 22 who survived and 22 who died. The researchers profiled fungal proteins and metabolites, the small molecules involved in cellular processes, under standardized laboratory conditions.
The analyses identified two molecular groups associated with survival status. A total of 43 metabolites and 319 proteins differed significantly between the groups. Purine metabolism was the only pathway supported by both protein and metabolite analyses after correction for multiple statistical comparisons. Purines are components of DNA and RNA and also participate in cellular energy transfer. The convergence of these findings guided the follow-up experiments.
The team then tested the isolates with mycophenolic acid and allopurinol, compounds used to investigate purine metabolism. Isolates from patients who died were more sensitive to both compounds. Their geometric mean minimum inhibitory concentration, the concentration needed to inhibit fungal growth, was eightfold lower for mycophenolic acid and sixfold lower for allopurinol than in isolates from survivors.
Further experiments with mycophenolic acid showed greater fungal killing over time in isolates from patients who died. Targeted measurements also showed depletion of several purine nucleotides after treatment in these isolates. Together, the results support a functional link between the molecular signature and sensitivity to pathway inhibition.
The study involved a small cohort from one hospital, and the experiments were performed outside the human body. Differences in sample collection timing could not be fully assessed. The association with survival does not establish that altered purine metabolism caused patient deaths. The findings also do not establish a validated prognostic test or demonstrate that either compound is safe and effective for treating Candida auris infection in patients.
Larger studies across multiple hospitals, direct genetic experiments, and animal infection models are needed to determine whether the pathway contributes to disease severity and can be targeted safely. By connecting molecular differences with a measurable laboratory response, the study gives researchers a specific pathway to investigate in the search for future antifungal strategies.
See the article:
Purine metabolism dysregulation as a multi-omics signature of fatal Candida auris infection
Mycology: An International Journal on Fungal Biology
Purine metabolism dysregulation as a multi-omics signature of fatal Candida auris infection
29-Oct-2026