Ex Vivo Human and Porcine Skin Effectively Model Candida auris Colonization, Differentiating Robust and Poor Fungal Colonizers

Abstract

Candida auris proliferates and persists on the skin of patients, often leading to health care-associated infections with high mortality. Here, we describe 2 clinically relevant skin models and show that C. auris grows similarly on human and porcine skin. Additionally, we demonstrate that other Candida spp., including those with phylogenetic similarity to C. auris, do not display high growth in the skin microenvironment. These studies highlight the utility of 2 ex vivo models of C. auris colonization that allow reproducible differentiation among Candida spp., which should be a useful tool for comparison of C. auris clinical isolates and genetically mutated strains.

Keywords: Candida; Candida auris; biofilm; colonization; ex vivo; human; microscopy; porcine; skin.