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Probiotics: Potential Novel Therapeutics Against Fungal Infections

Yunjian Wu1,2, Shan Hu3, Changyu Wu2

  • 1Department of Biotechnology, Beijing Key Laboratory of New Molecular Diagnosis Technologies for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China.

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
|February 7, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Probiotics show promise as a safe and economical alternative to traditional antifungal drugs. Further research is needed to understand their mechanisms against increasing fungal infections and drug resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Fungal infections are a growing global health concern, exacerbated by increasing antifungal drug resistance and side effects.
  • Existing antifungal treatments face challenges due to rising drug resistance and adverse effects, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Probiotics, beneficial microorganisms, are recognized for their immune-boosting and pathogen-inhibiting properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current research on probiotics as a potential alternative for treating fungal diseases.
  • To highlight the effectiveness of probiotics against a broad spectrum of pathogenic fungi.
  • To discuss the need for further investigation into the mechanisms underlying probiotic antifungal activity.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of scientific articles and research studies on probiotics and fungal infections.
  • Analysis of existing data on the efficacy of various probiotic strains against pathogenic fungi.
  • Synthesis of information regarding the potential mechanisms of action for probiotic-based antifungal therapies.

Main Results:

  • Probiotics demonstrate significant inhibitory effects against a wide range of pathogenic fungi.
  • Probiotics offer a potential alternative due to their safety profile and cost-effectiveness.
  • The precise mechanisms by which probiotics combat fungal infections require further elucidation.

Conclusions:

  • Probiotics represent a promising avenue for developing new treatments for fungal diseases.
  • Addressing the limitations of current antifungal drugs, probiotics offer a potentially safer and more sustainable approach.
  • Further research into probiotic mechanisms is crucial for optimizing their application in antifungal therapy.
Keywords:
antifungalbiofilmsfungal infectionsprobioticstherapeutic intervention

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