Research Topic: Antifungal drug resistance

Trichophyton indotineae Infection, São Paulo, Brazil, 2024

A businessman from São Paulo, Brazil contracted a difficult-to-treat fungal skin infection caused by Trichophyton indotineae, which is resistant to the common antifungal drug terbinafine. After terbinafine failed to help over 9 weeks, doctors switched him to itraconazole, which worked well after 8 weeks. Genetic testing showed his fungal strain had a specific resistance mutation and was most similar to a strain from Germany, suggesting he may have caught it while traveling in Europe.

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Breaking down biofilms across critical priority fungal pathogens: proteomics and computational innovation for mechanistic insights and new target discovery

This comprehensive review examines how scientists are fighting dangerous fungal infections that form protective biofilms resistant to current antifungal drugs. Researchers are using advanced protein analysis techniques (proteomics) and artificial intelligence-based computational tools to identify new targets for drug development against four critical fungal pathogens that cause life-threatening infections like meningitis and lung infections. By combining these technologies, scientists can better understand how these fungal biofilms form and develop more effective treatments.

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Acidic pH Reduces Fluconazole Susceptibility in Cryptococcus neoformans by Altering Iron Uptake and Enhancing Ergosterol Biosynthesis

This research shows that acidic environments, like those found in inflamed tissues and inside immune cells, make the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans more resistant to the antifungal drug fluconazole. The fungus adapts to acidic conditions by using an alternative iron uptake system that increases the production of protective compounds (ergosterol) in its cell membrane. Understanding this pH-dependent resistance mechanism could help develop better treatment strategies for cryptococcal infections in patients with compromised immune systems.

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The Gcn5 lysine acetyltransferase mediates cell wall remodeling, antifungal drug resistance, and virulence of Candida auris

Candida auris is a dangerous fungal infection that resists many standard antifungal drugs. Researchers discovered that a protein called Gcn5 helps this fungus survive both drugs and the body’s immune system. By targeting Gcn5 with a new compound called CPTH2, scientists showed they could make the fungus more vulnerable to standard treatments like caspofungin, suggesting a promising new approach to fighting these infections.

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