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Published on: March 9, 2018
Therapeutic Approaches for Combating Aspergillus Associated Infection
Aruna Punia1, Pooja Choudhary1, Namita Sharma1
1Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana 124001, India.
Abstract:
Now-a-days fungal infection emerges as a significant problem to healthcare management systems due to high frequency of associated morbidity, mortality toxicity, drug-drug interactions, and resistance of the antifungal agents. Aspergillus is the most common mold that cause infection in immunocompromised hosts. It's a hyaline mold that is cosmopolitan and ubiquitous in nature. Aspergillus infects around 10 million population each year with a mortality rate of 30-90%. Clinically available antifungal formulations are restricted to four classes (i.e., polyene, triazole, echinocandin, and allylamine), and each of them have their own limitations associated with the activity spectrum, the emergence of resistance, and toxicity. Consequently, novel antifungal agents with modified and altered chemical structures are required to combat these invasive fungal infections. To overcome these limitations, there is an urgent need for new antifungal agents that can act as potent drugs in near future. Currently, some compounds have shown effective antifungal activity. In this review article, we have discussed all potential antifungal therapies that contain old antifungal drugs, combination therapies, and recent novel antifungal formulations, with a focus on the Aspergillus associated infections.
Insights
Fungal infections, particularly Aspergillus, pose a significant threat due to drug resistance and toxicity. This review explores current and novel antifungal therapies to combat these challenges.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Fungal infections, especially those caused by Aspergillus, present a growing healthcare challenge due to high morbidity, mortality, drug toxicity, and emerging resistance.
- Aspergillus, a common mold, infects millions annually, particularly immunocompromised individuals, with mortality rates ranging from 30-90%.
Approach:
- This review critically examines existing antifungal drug classes, including polyenes, triazoles, echinocandins, and allylamines, highlighting their limitations.
- It discusses the potential of combination therapies and novel antifungal agents with modified chemical structures.
- The focus is on developing effective treatments for Aspergillus-associated invasive fungal infections.
Key Points:
- Current antifungal agents have limitations in spectrum, resistance, and toxicity.
- There is an urgent need for novel antifungal drugs to address the limitations of existing treatments.
- Research is exploring new compounds and therapeutic strategies to combat invasive fungal infections.
Conclusions:
- Novel antifungal agents are crucial to overcome the limitations of current therapies and combat rising drug resistance.
- Exploring combination therapies and new chemical entities offers promising avenues for treating Aspergillus infections.
- Effective management of invasive fungal infections requires continuous development of potent and safe antifungal treatments.
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