Drug repurposing to fight resistant fungal species: Recent developments as novel therapeutic strategies

Author: mycolabadmin
6/11/2025
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Summary

Fungal infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to growing drug resistance, affecting millions of people worldwide each year. This research collection explores creative solutions by repurposing existing medications and developing new combination therapies that work better together against resistant fungal species. Studies show promising results combining common antibiotics like minocycline with antifungal drugs, and natural compounds from traditional medicine show potential for treating hard-to-treat infections like Candida and Aspergillus.

Background

Fungal infections represent a growing global health threat with approximately 6.5 million cases of invasive fungal infections annually responsible for nearly 3.8 million deaths worldwide. Current therapeutic options are hampered by limited drug classes, increasing antifungal resistance, toxicity concerns, and suboptimal pharmacokinetics. Climate change has expanded the geographic range and virulence of pathogenic fungi, intensifying the global burden of these infections.

Objective

This editorial introduces a Research Topic on drug repurposing to combat resistant fungal species by presenting innovative therapeutic strategies. The initiative aims to advance Medical Mycology research and foster discovery of novel antimicrobial agents with enhanced antifungal efficacy against drug-resistant strains and synergistic combinations with existing treatments.

Results

The Research Topic features studies demonstrating synergistic antifungal effects of minocycline with caspofungin against Candida, dual antifungal-antiviral activity of procaine derivatives against Aspergillus, AI applications for predicting drug resistance, baicalin’s cell wall disruption of Candida albicans, and amantadine hydrochloride’s enhancement of azole efficacy. Additional studies identified natural compound candidates from Ayurvedic plants and demonstrated posaconazole-tacrolimus synergy against Aspergillus fumigatus.

Conclusion

This Research Topic brings together high-quality contributions advancing Medical Mycology with focus on innovative therapeutic approaches for combating fungal infections. The collection of research demonstrates promising alternative strategies including drug repurposing, combination therapies, and natural compound investigations that address the critical challenge of antifungal resistance in contemporary biomedical research.

Published in:Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology,
Study Type:Editorial and Research Topic Collection,
Source: PMID: 40568702, DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1633037