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Fungi are found in virtually every environment, and comprise a significant portion of the normal microflora of healthy individuals. Some species of fungi are aeroallergen sources capable of inducing sensitization and causing exacerbation of asthma and respiratory allergy. Others are transmissible between hosts and may cause no symptoms in healthy individuals. However, immune suppressed individuals may develop invasive disease marked by tissue invasion with a potential for widespread dissemination. Existing therapies for patients consist of antifungal drugs, yet these require prolonged administration with the possibility of adverse side effects, and may be rendered ineffective by the emergenc...
Fungal infections represent nowadays a significant burden on the healthcare system of most of the countries, and are among the infections with the highest mortality rates. This has fostered the study of the interaction of these organisms with the human host. The outer most layer of a fungal cell is the cell wall, and together with the secreted components into the extracellular compartment, are the first lines of contact with the host cells. This interaction is critical for tissue adhesion, colonization and damage. In addition, these fungal extracellular components will define the outcome of the interaction with the host immune cells, leading either to the establishment of a protective antifu...
Infectious diseases are caused by bacteria, fungus, viruses, and other microorganisms. Biomolecules such as proteins, DNA, and/or RNA play a crucial role in the infections of these disorders. These infectious illnesses are often transmissible, meaning they may be passed from one person to another by a variety of means. Even though medical technology has progressed, some illnesses continue to cause anxiety among individuals worldwide. If we examine the situation of COVID-19, the entire world is terrified of the pandemic. Similarly, In the last decades, other infections including Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, Ebola, Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV), influenza, the common cold, tuberculosis (TB), Hepatitis A and B and human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV) have also challenged the human population.
Invasive fungal diseases have increased many fold over the past 50 years. Current treatment regimens typically require prolonged administration of antifungal medications that can have significant toxicity. Moreover, our present potent antifungal armamentarium fails to eradicate fungal pathogens from certain compromised hosts. Additionally, invasive fungal diseases continue to have unacceptably high mortality rates. A growing body of work has focused on the utility of vaccines and/or immunotherapy as a powerful tool in combating mycoses, either for the active treatment, as an adjuvant, or in the prevention of specific fungal pathogens. Also, it is growing the interest over new drugs development as second choice for treatment when traditional chemotherapy fail. This Research Topic will detail the exciting progress in developing vaccines, immunotherapy and new drugs for fungi.
Medical mycology refers to the study of fungi that produce disease in humans and other animals, and of the diseases they produce, their ecology, and their epidemiology. This new edition has been fully revised to provide microbiologists with the latest information on fungal infections, covering the entire spectrum of different types of infection, and therapeutic modalities. Beginning with a general overview explaining morphology, taxonomy, and diagnosis, the following sections cover the different categories of fungal infection including superficial cutaneous mycoses, subcutaneous mycoses, systemic mycoses and opportunistic mycoses. A complete section is dedicated to pseudofungal infections. The highly illustrated text concludes with a detailed appendices section and each chapter features key references for further reading. Key points Fully revised, fourth edition providing latest information on the diagnosis and management of fungal infections Covers the entire spectrum of mycoses Highly illustrated with clinical photographs and figures Previous edition (9788188039780) published in 2009
Infections caused by fungi have recently attracted the attention of both clinicians and basic researchers given the heavy burden they represent for any health system. The mortality and morbidity rates associated to mycosis are progressively rising simply because some of these diseases are still neglected by health-care workers and due to the changing sensitivity to antifungal drugs displayed by these organisms. In this book, both researchers and clinicians working in the medical mycology field explore the most recent literature about specific mycosis; placing in one concise chapter thoroughly revisions of the current knowledge on virulence factors, recognition by immune cells, immunoevasion, epidemiology, new diagnosis trends and therapeutics. This book is recommended to researchers, physicians and students interested in medical mycology.
The fungal cell wall is a shield that protects the cells against changes in the extracellular environment, and from the high internal pressure generated during cell growth. These protective attributes are associated with cell wall robustness and strength, but at the same time the wall has to be plastic and dynamic to allow cell growth and communication with the external environment. The main components of the cell wall are sugars, proteins and lipids. Sugars are the most abundant components of the wall, and are mostly present as polysaccharides of glucose (alpha- and beta-glucans), N-acetylglucosamine (chitin), and glucosamine (chitosan). Most of the cell wall proteins are glycoproteins modified by a glycolipid and/or oligosaccharides covalently attached to asparagine (N-linked glycosylation) or serine/threonine residues (O-linked glycosylation). These wall proteins play important roles in cell wall integrity and structure, sensing changes in the extracellular environment, and some of them have adhesive properties and hydrolytic activities.