{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:31:14Z","timestamp":1787027474096,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,1]],"date-time":"2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743465600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Faculty Research Development Fund","award":["3728346"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["3728346"]}]},{"name":"Faculty Research Development Fund","award":["24\/680"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24\/680"]}]},{"name":"School of Medicine Performance-Based Research Fund at The University of Auckland","award":["3728346"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["3728346"]}]},{"name":"School of Medicine Performance-Based Research Fund at The University of Auckland","award":["24\/680"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24\/680"]}]},{"name":"Health Research Council of New Zealand","award":["3728346"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["3728346"]}]},{"name":"Health Research Council of New Zealand","award":["24\/680"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["24\/680"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antibiotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objective: Fungal corneal infections are challenging to treat due to delayed diagnostic procedures, bacterial co-infections, and limited antifungal efficacy. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of ultraviolet C (UVC) light alone and combined with antifungal drugs. Methods: A subsurface infection model was developed in semi-solid agar droplets, with Candida albicans cells or Aspergillus brasiliensis spores inoculated into 0.75% w\/v yeast peptone dextrose (YPD) agar in a 96-well microplate (5 \u00b5L per well). Two treatment groups were tested: (1) UVC exposure (265 nm, 1.93 mW\/cm2) for durations of 0 s, 5 s, 10 s, 15 s, 30 s, 60 s, or 120 s, and (2) UVC combined with antifungal drugs (Amphotericin B and Natamycin) at their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), determined in YPD broth. After treatment, agar droplets were homogenized, diluted, and plated for microbial enumeration. The most effective UVC doses were further tested in an ex vivo C. albicans porcine keratitis model, where the corneal epithelium was debrided, infected with C. albicans, and exposed to UVC. Corneas were then homogenized and plated to evaluate treatment efficacy. Results: UVC exposure of \u226515 s inhibited C. albicans, and \u226510 s inhibited A. brasiliensis (all p &lt; 0.05). The broth MICs were 0.1875 \u00b5g\/mL for Amphotericin B against C. albicans, 6.25 \u00b5g\/mL against A. brasiliensis, and 0.78125 \u00b5g\/mL for Natamycin against C. albicans, 7.8125 \u00b5g\/mL against A. brasiliensis. The broth MIC did not eradicate fungi in the subsurface model. Combined treatments enhanced inhibition (all p &lt; 0.05), with 30 s UVC + amphotericin B for C. albicans (p = 0.0218) and 30 s UVC + natamycin for A. brasiliensis (p = 0.0017). Ex vivo, 15 s and 30 s UVC inhibited growth (p = 0.0476), but no differences were seen between groups (all p &gt; 0.05). Conclusion: UVC demonstrated strong antifungal efficacy, with supplementary benefits from combining UVC with low doses of antifungal drugs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics14040361","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,1]],"date-time":"2025-04-01T11:17:57Z","timestamp":1743506277000},"page":"361","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Therapeutic Efficacy of Ultraviolet C Light on Fungal Keratitis\u2014In Vitro and Ex Vivo Studies"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Mark A.","family":"Bosman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8297-5319","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jennifer P.","family":"Craig","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7352-1112","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simon","family":"Swift","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4594-123X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simon J.","family":"Dean","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8282-9637","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sanjay","family":"Marasini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"255","DOI":"10.1016\/j.survophthal.2018.12.003","article-title":"The persistent dilemma of microbial keratitis: Global burden, diagnosis, and antimicrobial resistance","volume":"64","author":"Ung","year":"2019","journal-title":"Surv. 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