dermatophytosis – Page 2

Antifungal Efficacy of Luliconazole-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid-Carrier Gel in an Animal Model of Dermatophytosis

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Researchers developed a new antifungal gel containing luliconazole loaded into tiny lipid nanoparticles to treat stubborn fungal skin infections caused by Trichophyton indotineae that resist standard terbinafine treatment. Testing in guinea pigs showed this new nanoformulation penetrated skin better and cleared infections faster (21 days) compared to regular luliconazole gel (28 days) and terbinafine-treated animals. The nanoparticle delivery system improved the drug’s ability to reach infected skin layers and showed no harmful side effects, offering promise for treating resistant fungal infections in patients.

Efficacy of Topical Antifungal Nail Solution Versus Topical Placebo Solution for the Treatment of Pedal Onychomycosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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This study tested whether a new antifungal solution called Tolcylen® could effectively treat toenail fungus compared to a placebo. Over 9 months, participants using the active treatment showed dramatic improvements, with over half achieving complete fungal elimination and 70% showing significant nail healing. Beyond just getting rid of the fungus, patients reported much better quality of life with less discomfort and improved appearance as early as 3 months into treatment.

The impact of climate change on the epidemiology of fungal infections: implications for diagnosis, treatment, and public health strategies

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Climate change is making it easier for dangerous fungi to grow and spread to new areas where people have never encountered them before. As temperatures rise and weather becomes more extreme, fungi are becoming resistant to our medicines, especially antifungal drugs used in both farming and hospitals. People living in poverty, displaced by natural disasters, and those without good healthcare access are most vulnerable to these infections. We need to act quickly by developing new treatments, improving diagnosis, reducing agricultural fungicide use, and strengthening healthcare systems in vulnerable communities.

Optimized protein extraction protocol from human skin samples

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Researchers developed an improved method for extracting and analyzing proteins from human skin samples. Using specialized equipment and chemical treatments, they were able to identify about 6,000 different proteins in skin tissue, which is significantly more than previous methods could detect. This new protocol is particularly useful for studying skin diseases like fungal infections and could help identify new treatments by revealing how proteins change in diseased skin.

Climate Change, Natural Disasters, and Cutaneous Fungal Infections

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Climate change and natural disasters are creating conditions that allow fungal infections to spread more easily and affect people in new ways. Warmer temperatures help fungi adapt to infect humans, while floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes expose people to fungal spores and create wounds through which infections can enter. Doctors need to be alert for unusual fungal infections after disasters, especially since some of these infections can cause serious complications and resist common treatments.

Identification of Challenging Dermatophyte Species Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

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This study shows how MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, a rapid laboratory technique, can accurately identify different types of dermatophyte fungi that cause ringworm and other skin infections. By creating a customized reference library combining commercial and locally-collected fungal samples, researchers improved identification accuracy from 16% to 91%. This advancement helps doctors identify the specific fungus causing a skin infection more quickly and accurately, enabling better treatment decisions.

SUB6 Subtilisin is Involved During the Initial Adhesion of Trichophyton benhamiae and T. mentagrophytes onto Reconstructed Human Epidermis

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Researchers studied a fungal protease called SUB6 produced by common skin infection-causing fungi. Using engineered fungi lacking this protein, they found that SUB6 helps fungi initially stick to skin but isn’t absolutely required for infection. The fungi can compensate by producing other proteases, suggesting SUB6 might be better used as a diagnostic marker to detect fungal infections rather than as a drug target.

Antifungal susceptibility testing of Microsporum canis isolated from the skin of dermatologically healthy cats

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Researchers found that about 5% of healthy cats in Chile carry a fungal infection called Microsporum canis that can spread to humans. The concerning discovery is that all strains tested were resistant to fluconazole, a commonly used antifungal medication. The study shows that indoor cats are at higher risk of carrying this fungus and suggests that screening healthy cats could help prevent transmission to people who have close contact with them.

Emerging antifungal resistance in Trichophyton mentagrophytes: insights from susceptibility profiling and genetic mutation analysis

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This study examined how common skin fungal infections caused by Trichophyton species are becoming resistant to standard antifungal treatments. Researchers tested 131 fungal isolates from China and analyzed their resistance genes to understand why some strains no longer respond to terbinafine and other antifungal drugs. They found that certain genetic mutations, particularly in the SQLE gene, make these fungi resistant to treatment and that different species have different resistance patterns. These findings help doctors better choose treatments and guide the development of new antifungal medications.

Emergence of resistant dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton indotineae: First case series in Thailand

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Researchers in Thailand have identified five patients with a difficult-to-treat fungal skin infection caused by Trichophyton indotineae, a type of dermatophyte that resists the commonly used antifungal drug terbinafine. This is the first time this resistant fungus has been detected in Thailand. The team developed a simple, inexpensive test using urease to help identify these resistant infections more easily. Patients responded well to the antifungal drug itraconazole after other treatments failed.

Disease: dermatophytosis