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Challenges and Opportunities in Understanding Genetics of Fungal Diseases: Towards a Functional Genomics Approach

Mariolina Bruno1, Vasiliki Matzaraki1,2, Frank L van de Veerdonk1

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Radboudumc Center for Infectious Diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Infection and Immunity
|May 25, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Understanding genetic susceptibility to fungal infections is crucial. This study reviews methods for identifying genetic factors, highlighting systems genomics as a powerful approach for discovering new fungal disease susceptibility genes.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Genetics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Infectious diseases are a major global health concern, with pathogens driving genetic evolution in immune-related genes.
  • Genetic predisposition significantly influences susceptibility to infections, particularly fungal diseases.
  • Advances in genetic studies have improved our understanding of host-pathogen interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of methods for studying human genetic susceptibility to fungal infections.
  • To review the limitations of current genetic approaches in fungal immunology.
  • To highlight the potential of systems genomics for identifying fungal disease susceptibility genes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of classical genetic studies (family-based, candidate gene).
  • Discussion of novel unbiased genetic approaches.
  • Application of systems genomics for gene and pathway prioritization.

Main Results:

  • Classical methods have identified key susceptibility factors for fungal infections.
  • Novel approaches offer broader insights but have limitations in fungal immunology.
  • Systems genomics effectively overcomes limitations, enabling efficient identification of critical genes and pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Genetic factors play a vital role in susceptibility to fungal infections.
  • Systems genomics offers a powerful strategy to identify novel genetic determinants of fungal disease.
  • This knowledge can improve risk stratification and inform prophylactic and treatment strategies for fungal diseases.
Keywords:
functional genomicsfungal infectionsgenetic predispositionhost immune responseimmunologypolymorphisms

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