Recent insights into antifungal drug resistance: interactions between drugs and cells.

Ref ID: 19341

Author:

White, T.C.

Author address:

School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri at Kansas City

Full conference title:

Society for General Microbiology Autumn Conference 2013

Date: 19 August 2014

Abstract:

Fungal infections take a huge toll on the humans, animals and plants that they infect. In
humans, invasive fungal infections can number in the millions and have a high mortality rate
(above 40%). Treatment of fungal infections usually involves the use of one of several
classes of antifungal drugs, each with a unique mechanism of action. For each of these drug
classes, there is always the risk of the development of resistance. The molecular
mechanisms by which cells acquire antifungal resistance have been studied in Candida
albicans, as well as several other pathogenic fungi. These mechanisms can include changes
in a) the import of the drug, b) the interactions of the drug with the target enzyme, c) the
export from the cell, or d) combinations of several of these mechanisms. Particular emphasis
will be paid to drug import, a long-ignored aspect of the interaction between drug and fungus.
Recently, the import of sterols, which overcome the effect of several antifungal drugs, has
been shown to contribute to the fungal cells’ response to antifungal drugs. The future of
antifungal drug development, and understanding drug resistance will be based on our current
understanding of the interaction between drug and fungus.

Abstract Number: NULL

Conference Year: 2013

Link to conference website: NULL

New link: NULL

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