Invasive fungal infections – Page 6

Healthcare-associated fungal infections and emerging pathogens during the COVID-19 pandemic

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, fungal infections became a major health concern, especially in hospitalized patients. Treatments for COVID-19, such as steroids and immunosuppressive drugs, weakened patients’ immune systems, making them vulnerable to serious fungal infections like those caused by Candida auris. Current antifungal medications have significant side effects and many fungi are developing resistance, so scientists are urgently seeking safer and more effective antifungal treatments.

Epidemiology of Candidemia, Candiduria and Emerging Candidozyma (Candida) auris Across Gulf Cooperative Council Countries and Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula

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This comprehensive review examines fungal bloodstream and urinary tract infections caused by Candida species across Middle Eastern countries. The study shows that while Candida albicans remains common, dangerous antibiotic-resistant strains like Candidozyma auris are increasingly appearing in hospitals. The research highlights that better diagnostic tools and infection prevention practices are urgently needed in the region to protect patients and reduce deaths from these serious infections.

Isavuconazonium Utilization in Pediatric Patients at a Free-Standing Children’s Hospital

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Researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles studied how well a newer antifungal medication called isavuconazonium works in children with cancer and blood disorders who are at high risk for serious fungal infections. The medication was recently approved for use in children ages 1 and older. The study found that the medication was generally safe and effective, though doctors need to monitor liver function and drug levels to ensure proper dosing and catch any side effects early.

Antifungal Agents in the 21st Century: Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

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This review examines how doctors treat serious fungal infections and the growing problem of fungi becoming resistant to medications. The authors discuss different antifungal drugs, how they work, and why some fungi are becoming harder to treat. They emphasize that controlling fungal resistance requires coordinated efforts across hospitals, farms, and communities, especially since some agricultural pesticides are creating resistant strains that spread to sick patients.

Label-Free Optical Transmission Tomography for Direct Mycological Examination and Monitoring of Intracellular Dynamics

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Scientists have developed a new imaging technology called optical transmission tomography that can directly observe living fungi without staining or special dyes. This technique reveals not only the structure of fungal cells but also shows their internal activity and metabolism in real-time. When combined with artificial intelligence, this technology could help doctors quickly identify dangerous fungal infections and choose the best treatments, potentially saving lives by speeding up diagnosis.

Fungal vaccines: so needed, so feasible, and yet so far off

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Fungal infections kill millions of people worldwide each year, particularly those with weakened immune systems, yet no vaccines exist to prevent them. Scientists have discovered that a specific fungal enzyme called Eng2 can trigger protective immune responses against three major disease-causing fungi. A vaccine containing this enzyme from all three fungi species could potentially protect against multiple dangerous fungal infections, though challenges like cost and the need to work in immunocompromised patients remain before such vaccines reach patients.

De novo genome sequencing and comparative analyses of the clinically relevant species Mucor ardhlaengiktus, Mucor circinelloides, Mucor griseocyanus, and Mucor janssenii

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Scientists have sequenced and analyzed the complete genomes of four species of Mucor fungus that cause serious infections in humans. Using advanced long-read sequencing technology, they created high-quality genetic blueprints for these organisms, which will help doctors better identify which Mucor species is causing infections and enable faster diagnosis and treatment of these dangerous fungal infections.

Deletion of RAP1 affects iron homeostasis, azole resistance, and virulence in Candida albicans

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Researchers found that a protein called Rap1 plays a critical role in how the dangerous fungus Candida albicans acquires and uses iron, which is essential for its survival in the human body. When the RAP1 gene was deleted, the fungus became much less virulent and lethal in infected mice, while paradoxically becoming more resistant to the antifungal drug fluconazole under iron-limited conditions. These findings suggest that targeting iron acquisition through Rap1 could be a new therapeutic strategy against serious fungal infections.

Characterization of the Spatiotemporal Localization of a Pan-Mucorales–Specific Antigen During Germination and Immunohistochemistry

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Researchers developed a new diagnostic test using a special antibody that can detect Mucorales fungi, which cause a serious infection called mucormycosis. The antibody glows to mark growing fungal threads in tissue samples, helping doctors identify the infection early and distinguish it from other mold infections like Aspergillus. This breakthrough could significantly improve patient outcomes by enabling faster diagnosis and treatment of this aggressive fungal disease.

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Pulmonary Fungal Infections 1990–2021

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This study analyzed the global impact of fungal lung infections from 1990 to 2021, finding that about 5.6 million people were affected in 2021 with significant mortality rates. The burden of these infections is particularly high in low- and middle-income countries and affects older individuals more severely. The researchers project that deaths from fungal lung infections will double by 2044, emphasizing the need for better prevention strategies, vaccines, and international cooperation to address this growing health challenge.

Disease: Invasive fungal infections