02/09/2026
Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, may have an unexpected medical use beyond pain or anxiety relief.
Scientists at Macquarie University found that CBD and a related compound called CBDV rapidly killed several harmful fungi in laboratory experiments, including Cryptococcosis, a serious infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. This pathogen is considered a global priority because it can spread to the brain and cause life threatening meningitis, especially in people with weakened immune systems.
In the study, both compounds eliminated the fungus within about 30 minutes when applied topically, acting faster than some existing antifungal drugs. They also worked against common dermatophytes that cause everyday skin infections such as athlete’s foot and jock itch.
Instead of targeting one specific metabolic pathway like many antifungal medications, CBD appears to physically disrupt fungal cell membranes and prevent biofilm formation. This broad, membrane damaging action may make it harder for fungi to develop resistance, since repairing a damaged membrane is more difficult than mutating a single enzyme target.
To test whether the effect worked beyond petri dishes, researchers used greater wax moth larvae, an established infection model with immune responses similar to mammals. Infected larvae treated with CBD survived at rates close to healthy controls and outperformed those treated with standard antifungal drugs like amphotericin B.
These results are still preclinical. Human trials would be required before any treatment becomes available. But because CBD already has a well studied safety profile, it may be a promising candidate for faster development.
With fungal infections affecting more than a billion people worldwide each year and drug resistance increasing, this research hints that a simple topical therapy could one day become a powerful new tool.
Source: Laboratory and animal model antifungal studies conducted by researchers at Macquarie University.