Disease: fungal infections in immunocompromised individuals

Editorial: Fungal virulence

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Fungal infections are becoming more dangerous and common worldwide, especially as climate change warms the planet. Scientists are studying how fungi develop the ability to cause disease, focusing on features like their stickiness to human tissues and ability to form protective biofilms. Recent research shows that specific proteins and growth conditions affect how dangerous different fungi are and how our immune system responds to them. Understanding these mechanisms could help doctors develop better treatments and vaccines against fungal infections.

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Cgm1 is a β-galactoside α-(1 → 4)-mannosyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of capsular glucuronoxylomannogalactan in Cryptococcus neoformans

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Researchers identified a new fungal enzyme called Cgm1 that helps the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans build its protective capsule, which allows it to evade the immune system. When this enzyme is disabled, the fungus becomes weak at body temperature and triggers a stronger immune response in infected mice. Since humans and plants don’t have this enzyme, it could be a promising target for developing new antifungal medications.

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Moving beyond multi-triazole to multi-fungicide resistance: Broader selection of drug resistance in the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus

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Aspergillus fumigatus is a dangerous fungal infection treated with triazole drugs, but the fungus is developing resistance to multiple antifungal medications. This resistance appears to be selected in agricultural settings where fungicides are used on crops, and resistant strains then spread to humans through the air. The problem is worse because agricultural fungicides are selecting for strains resistant to multiple drug classes at once, making infections harder to treat. Addressing this issue requires reducing fungicide use in agriculture and better strategies for managing antifungal resistance.

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