# The impact of respiratory tract mimicking media on antifungal susceptibility testing

## TL;DR

This study compares how different media affect antifungal susceptibility testing, finding that respiratory tract-mimicking media can change results for some fungi.

## Contribution

The study introduces respiratory tract-mimicking media as a novel testing environment for antifungal susceptibility.

## Key findings

- Candida species showed greater MIC variability in respiratory tract-mimicking media compared to RPMI1640.
- Aspergillus terreus had higher MICs for certain antifungals in respiratory tract-mimicking media.
- Respiratory tract-mimicking media may better reflect in vivo conditions for antifungal susceptibility testing.

## Abstract

The rise in antifungal resistance and changing epidemiology underscores the need to improve antifungal susceptibility testing. This study tested the standard medium RPMI1640 and healthy lung and sinus media against Aspergillus, Mucor, and Candida species. Candida showed greater variability in minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) compared with molds, with higher MICs in respiratory tract-mimicking media than in RPMI1640. Aspergillus terreus was the most affected mold, showing higher MICs for certain antifungals in these media.