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Clinical Mycology Today: Emerging Challenges and Opportunities

Summary

Fungal infections are becoming more common because of new medical treatments that suppress immune function, and some fungi are developing resistance to standard medications. However, exciting new antifungal drugs are in development that work in different ways and may be easier to use. The article discusses how doctors need better ways to identify patients at risk, design better clinical trials, and train more specialists to handle these increasingly complex fungal infections.

Background

Invasive fungal diseases are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and pose a growing threat globally. The Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium convenes experts to discuss current challenges and opportunities in clinical mycology. The field is experiencing expansion due to novel immunotherapies, emerging drug-resistant pathogens, and new antifungal developments.

Objective

To review and discuss emerging challenges and opportunities in clinical mycology, with emphasis on novel host risk factors, emerging resistant fungal pathogens, the evolving antifungal pipeline, and critical issues affecting advancement of mycology research.

Results

The paper identifies critical areas including: novel immunotherapies as emerging host risk factors, genetic advances in understanding fungal susceptibility, drug-resistant pathogens including dermatophytes and Candida auris, COVID-associated fungal infections, and numerous promising new antifungals in development with novel mechanisms of action.

Conclusion

Clinical mycology faces pivotal challenges and opportunities requiring improved understanding of host risk factors, epidemiologic surveillance of resistant pathogens, and expansion of clinical and basic research pipelines. The field requires robust workforce development, improved clinical trial design, and continued collaboration among stakeholders to improve patient outcomes.
  • Published in:Open Forum Infectious Diseases,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 39045011, DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae363
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