Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40470967›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2025

Uncovering the antifungal potential of Cannabidiol and Cannabidivarin.

Hue Dinh, Kenya E Fernandes, Paige E Erpf, Evie J M Clay, Aidan P Tay, Stephanie S Nagy, Sebastian Schaefer, Ram Maharjan, Megan D Lenardon, Dylan H Multari and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Frontiers in microbiology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Hue DinhSchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3455-3394
Kenya E FernandesSchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Paige E ErpfSchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Evie J M ClaySchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Aidan P TaySchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Stephanie S NagySchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Sebastian SchaeferSchool of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Ram MaharjanSchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Megan D LenardonSchool of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Dylan H MultariSchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Paul A HaynesSchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Ian T PaulsenSchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Marina J SantiagoMacquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
Mark ConnorAustralian Research Council, Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia's Bioactives (FAAB), Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Dee CarterSchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Amy K CainSchool of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4230-6572

Funding

Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s BioactivesInternational Cotutelle Macquarie Excellence ScholarshipMacquarie University Research Acceleration Scheme
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Fungal infections pose a major threat to human health with increasing incidence of antifungal resistance globally. Despite the need for novel antifungal drugs, few are currently in clinical development. Here we evaluate the antifungal activity of five phytocannabinoids against several clinically relevant fungal pathogens, with a focus on the priority pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Our results demonstrate that Cannabidiol (CBD), and particularly Cannabidivarin (CBDV), have broad activity against C. neoformans and other fungal pathogens, including dermatophytes that cause common tinea. We found that both CBD and CBDV acted in a fungicidal manner and prevented biofilm formation in C. neoformans. Phytocannabinoid treatment impeded factors important for virulence and antifungal resistance, including reduced capsule size and disruption of mature biofilms. Proteomics analysis revealed that the antifungal activity of CBD and CBDV was linked to destabilisation of the membrane, alterations in ergosterol biosynthesis, disruption of metabolic pathways, as well as selective involvement of mitochondrial-associated proteins. We next tested the ability of CBD to topically clear a C. neoformans fungal infection in vivo using the Galleria mellonella burn wound model, and we observed greatly improved survival in the CBD treated larvae. This study illustrates the potential of phytocannabinoids as antifungal treatments and opens up new routes towards development of novel antifungal drugs.

Indexed as

Antifungal AgentsCannabidiolCannabinoidsCryptococcus neoformansAnimalsBiofilmsCryptococcosisDisease Models, AnimalHumansMicrobial Sensitivity TestsProteomicsAntifungal AgentsCannabidiolCannabinoids

Identifiers

PMID40470967
PMCPMC12139526

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.