Current Drug Targets - Volume 6, Issue 8, 2005

The current review issue regarding 'Fungal Infections and Antifungal Strategies' unites reviews regarding (i) the infection process of pathogenic fungi resulting in topical or systemic infections, (ii) fungal biofilms, (iii) currently used antimycotics, (iv) novel antifungal drug targets, (v) antifungal susceptibility testing methods and (vi) the use of radiolabeled antifungal agents for early detection of fungal infections. Fungal infections Read More

Dermatomycoses are among the most widespread and common superficial and cutaneous fungal infections in humans. These typically nonfatal conditions are difficult to treat, especially infections of the nail. Dermatomycoses are caused by filamentous fungi such as Trichophyton, Microsporum or Epidermophyton species. These filamentous fungi have a high affinity for keratin, an important component of hair, skin Read More

Candida species, in particular C. albicans, represent a major threat to immunocompromised patients. Able to exist as a commensal on mucosal surfaces of healthy individuals, these opportunistic fungi frequently cause superficial infections of mucosae and skin. Furthermore, in hospital settings, Candida species may cause life-threatening invasive infections in a growing population of vulnerable patients. In fact, candidae Read More

Infections with mould pathogens have emerged as an increasing risk faced by patients under sustained immunosuppression. Species of the Aspergillus family account for most of these infections and in particular Aspergillus fumigatus can be regarded as the most important airborne-pathogenic fungus. The improvement in transplant medicine and the therapy of hematological malignancies is often complicated by the Read More

Device-related infections in most nosocomial diseases can be traced to the formation of biofilms (microbial communities encased within a polysaccharide-rich extracellular matrix) by pathogens on surfaces of these devices. Candida species are the most common causative agents of these infections, and biofilms formed by these fungal organisms are associated with drastically enhanced resistance against most antimi Read More

The increasing incidence of fungal infections combined with the emerging problem of antifungal drug resistance have prompted investigations of the mode of action of the currently used antifungal therapeutics (antimycotics). The routinely used antimycotics can be grouped into six different classes based on their mode of action. In this review, the mode of action and antifungal spectrum of these classes are discussed, togeth Read More

With the rise of fungal infection incidence amongst the patient population, the importance of developing new antifungal drug targets is higher than ever. This review mainly focuses on the three most prevalent fungal pathogens, Candida, Aspergillus and Cryptococcus, and on the most recent progresses in molecular research that contribute to a better understanding of the pathogen itself, but also its host and the interaction wi Read More

Sphingolipids are essential membrane components, present in all eukaryotic cells, but structurally distinct in mammalian and fungal cells. Therefore, they represent an attractive new target for the development of novel antimycotics. This review will briefly highlight sphingolipid biosynthesis and functions in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition, naturally occurring antifungal compounds that interact wi Read More

The number of systemically active antifungal agents has increased dramatically in recent years in response to the challenge of invasive mycoses. Additional work is needed to better understand the mechanisms of action of these agents as well as the mechanisms of resistance expressed by the fungal pathogens. Antifungal susceptibility testing has been standardized and refined and now may be considered to play an importa Read More

The outcome of antifungal therapy depends on the progression of the infection at the start of therapy. Unfortunately, most patients are diagnosed once the fungal infection has progressed considerably as a result of the non-specific clinical signs of fungal infections in immunocompromised patients and the poor sensitivity of current mycological diagnostic tests. This review will highlight current fungal diagnostic techniques a Read More