2. Academic Validation
  3. Effect of phenotype switched Candida auris mono-culture and co-culture biofilms on the morphology, viability, and adhesion of hTERT TIGKs and ORL-48 cell lines

Effect of phenotype switched Candida auris mono-culture and co-culture biofilms on the morphology, viability, and adhesion of hTERT TIGKs and ORL-48 cell lines

  • Arch Oral Biol. 2026 Feb:182:106478. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2025.106478.
Mukarramah Zainal 1,  Nurul 'Izzah Mohd Sarmin 2,  Mohammad Johari Ibrahim 3,  Nicola Cirillo 4,  Stuart G Dashper 4,  Mohd Hafiz Arzmi 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Fundamental Dental & Medical Sciences, Kulliyyah of Dentistry, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang 25200, Malaysia; Faculty of Dentistry, University Teknologi MARA, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan 47000, Malaysia; Cluster of Cancer Research Initiative IIUM (COCRII), International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang 25200, Malaysia. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 2 Faculty of Dentistry, University Teknologi MARA, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan 47000, Malaysia; Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
  • 3 Faculty of Medicine, University Teknologi MARA, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh, Selangor Darul Ehsan 47000, Malaysia.
  • 4 Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia.
  • 5 Department of Fundamental Dental & Medical Sciences, Kulliyyah of Dentistry, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang 25200, Malaysia; Cluster of Cancer Research Initiative IIUM (COCRII), International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang 25200, Malaysia; Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3053, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41412107 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2025.106478
Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to determine the paracrine effects of Candida auris phenotypic switching in mono- and co-culture with Staphylococcus aureus on oral epithelial homeostasis and oncogenic progression in phenotypically normal (hTERT TIGKs) and malignant (ORL-48) oral keratinocytes.

Design: C. auris switched phenotype was scored using Phloxine B, and mono- and co-culture biofilms with S. aureus were developed. hTERT TIGKs and ORL-48 cell lines were independently seeded into 6-well and 96-well plates for dispase and viability test, respectively. The oral cell lines were exposed to phenotypically switched C. auris mono- and co-culture biofilm test cell growth medium (TCGM) for 24 h. Outcomes included cell morphology, metabolic activity/viability (CCK-8), and cell-cell adhesion (dispase assay).

Results: Microscopic observation revealed that the biofilm induced damage and disrupted epithelial cell integrity in a paracrine manner. The mono- and co-culture TCGM suppressed the growth of normal cells while promoting the metabolic activity of Cancer cells. The adhesion analysis of hTERT TIGKs indicated a strong intercellular cohesion, while ORL-48 cells downregulated intercellular adhesion and compromised cell-cell cohesion.

Conclusion: C. auris biofilms promote the development of a malignant phenotype by regulating cell viability, promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and adhesion in a switched generation-dependent manner.

Keywords

Biofilm; Candida auris; EMT; HTERT TIGKs; Interkingdom interaction; ORL-48; Oral carcinogenesis; Phenotype switch; Staphylococcus aureus.

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