immunosuppression – mycolab.ai

Fungi: Pioneers of chemical creativity – Techniques and strategies to uncover fungal chemistry

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This review explores how fungi produce remarkable chemical compounds that have been transformed into important medicines for over a century. Starting with penicillin in the 1940s, scientists have discovered dozens of fungal-derived drugs used to treat infections, prevent organ rejection, lower cholesterol, and fight cancer. Modern technology now allows researchers to discover and analyze these compounds much faster and with smaller samples than ever before.

The Structural Characterization and Immunomodulatory Activity of Polysaccharides from Pleurotus abieticola Fruiting Bodies

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Researchers isolated and studied a polysaccharide compound from oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus abieticola) called PAPS1. When tested in mice treated with a chemotherapy drug that suppresses immunity, PAPS1 helped restore immune function by reducing harmful reactive oxygen species and boosting beneficial gut bacteria. This suggests that mushroom polysaccharides could potentially be used to help cancer patients manage the immunosuppressive side effects of chemotherapy.

Modulating the gut microbiota is involved in the effect of low-molecular-weight Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide on immune function

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Researchers studied a natural compound from licorice called Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GP) to see if it could help restore immune function in mice weakened by chemotherapy. GP treatment improved intestinal health, boosted immune cells, and changed the gut bacteria composition to favor beneficial strains. The study shows that GP works partly by modifying which bacteria live in the gut, which then support the immune system. This research suggests GP could be useful as a natural supplement for strengthening immunity and treating intestinal inflammation.

Fungal Drug Discovery for Chronic Disease: History, New Discoveries and New Approaches

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This article examines how fungi have provided humanity with some of the most important medicines ever created, including penicillin, drugs that prevent organ rejection, and cholesterol-lowering statins. Many of these fungal compounds work as medicines because they target processes that are similar in both fungi and humans, helping them survive competition with other fungi while coincidentally treating human diseases. New researchers are now using modern genetic tools to discover additional fungal medicines, with several promising candidates currently being tested in clinical trials for cancer, depression, and other chronic diseases.

Disseminated mucormycosis leading to a fatal gastrointestinal perforation in a pediatric case of EBV-associated Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

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A 12-month-old girl with a severe immune system disorder (HLH) triggered by Epstein-Barr virus developed a life-threatening fungal infection (mucormycosis) that spread throughout her digestive system. Despite aggressive treatment with multiple antifungal medications and emergency surgery, the infection caused her intestines to perforate, leading to her death. The case highlights the difficulty in recognizing fungal infections early in immunocompromised children and the need for heightened clinical awareness.

A Case of Superficial Mycoses in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

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A 52-year-old woman with lupus developed a widespread fungal skin infection that was initially mistaken for worsening lupus symptoms. The infection affected her scalp, face, and nails with two different types of fungi. After six months of treatment with antifungal medications, her symptoms resolved completely with no return of the infection during follow-up.

Sarocladium implicatum: an unusual agent of opportunistic infection in a COVID-19 patient

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A patient hospitalized with severe COVID-19 developed an unusual infection caused by a mold called Sarocladium implicatum, which typically affects plants. Due to weakened immune system from his illness and medications, the fungus spread to his bloodstream and lungs, causing persistent fever and a cavity in his lung. After molecular testing identified the fungus, he was treated with an antifungal medication called voriconazole, which successfully cured the infection.

Mediastinal cryptococcoma as part of disseminated cryptococcosis in HIV-negative pregnant woman with Myasthenia Gravis: Autopsy case report

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A 29-year-old pregnant woman with myasthenia gravis, a condition requiring long-term immune-suppressing medications, died from a widespread fungal infection caused by Cryptococcus. Despite being HIV-negative, her weakened immune system made her vulnerable to this serious infection. An autopsy revealed the infection had spread throughout her body, including her heart, brain, lungs, and kidneys. This case highlights how fungal infections like cryptococcosis can affect people without HIV when their immune systems are compromised by other conditions or medications.

A human-relevant alternative infection model for mucormycosis using the silkworm Bombyx mori

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Researchers developed a silkworm-based model to study mucormycosis, a deadly fungal infection. The model reproduces the same disease patterns and risk factors seen in humans, including effects of steroids and iron levels. Importantly, it successfully predicted how well antifungal drugs work against the infection, offering a faster and more ethical alternative to mammal testing for developing new treatments.

Continuous debridement combined with short-term posaconazole therapy for cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus oryzae infection secondary to acute myeloid leukemia: a case report

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An 80-year-old patient with acute myeloid leukemia developed a serious fungal skin infection caused by Rhizopus oryzae on his lower leg. Doctors treated the infection by repeatedly cleaning out the infected tissue and giving him an antifungal medication called posaconazole for just one week. Despite the short treatment duration due to cost concerns, the patient’s wound gradually healed over four months through continued surgical care, showing that sometimes focused surgical treatment can be as effective as long-term medication.

Research Keyword: immunosuppression