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Immunomodulation for the Treatment of Fungal Infections: Opportunities and Challenges

Muluneh Ademe1

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
|October 12, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Immunomodulation therapies enhance immune responses to fight opportunistic fungal infections, offering a safer and more effective alternative to conventional antifungal drugs, especially for immunocompromised patients.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Immunology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Opportunistic fungal infections cause significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.
  • Conventional antifungal agents pose toxicity risks due to host-pathogen evolutionary similarity and are often ineffective in immunosuppressed patients.
  • Novel strategies are needed to enhance host immunity and improve antifungal drug efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review clinical evidence on immunomodulation therapies for invasive fungal infections.
  • To explore the opportunities and challenges associated with using immunomodulation in antifungal treatment.
  • To highlight the potential of enhancing host immune responses against fungal pathogens.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical evidence and scientific literature.
  • Analysis of immunomodulatory therapeutic agents targeting host immune responses.
  • Evaluation of safety, efficacy, and resistance profiles of immunomodulation.

Main Results:

  • Immunomodulating agents show promise in boosting the immune system to combat fungal infections.
  • These therapies can enhance the efficacy and safety of conventional antifungal drugs.
  • Immunomodulation generally presents a safe profile with a broad spectrum of activity and reduced risk of resistance.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting host immune responses through immunomodulation is a viable strategy for treating invasive fungal infections.
  • Immunomodulation offers a promising approach to improve outcomes for patients with compromised immunity.
  • Further clinical evidence supports the integration of immunomodulation into antifungal treatment paradigms.
Keywords:
antifungal therapycellular therapycytokine therapyfungal infectionsimmunomodulation

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