The fungal cell wall as a target for the development of new antifungal therapies

JCG Cortés, MÁ Curto, VSD Carvalho, P Pérez… - Biotechnology …, 2019 - Elsevier
Biotechnology advances, 2019Elsevier
In the past three decades invasive mycoses have globally emerged as a persistent source of
healthcare-associated infections. The cell wall surrounding the fungal cell opposes the
turgor pressure that otherwise could produce cell lysis. Thus, the cell wall is essential for
maintaining fungal cell shape and integrity. Given that this structure is absent in host
mammalian cells, it stands as an important target when developing selective compounds for
the treatment of fungal infections. Consequently, treatment with echinocandins, a family of …
Abstract
In the past three decades invasive mycoses have globally emerged as a persistent source of healthcare-associated infections. The cell wall surrounding the fungal cell opposes the turgor pressure that otherwise could produce cell lysis. Thus, the cell wall is essential for maintaining fungal cell shape and integrity. Given that this structure is absent in host mammalian cells, it stands as an important target when developing selective compounds for the treatment of fungal infections. Consequently, treatment with echinocandins, a family of antifungal agents that specifically inhibits the biosynthesis of cell wall (1-3)β-D-glucan, has been established as an alternative and effective antifungal therapy. However, the existence of many pathogenic fungi resistant to single or multiple antifungal families, together with the limited arsenal of available antifungal compounds, critically affects the effectiveness of treatments against these life-threatening infections. Thus, new antifungal therapies are required. Here we review the fungal cell wall and its relevance in biotechnology as a target for the development of new antifungal compounds, disclosing the most promising cell wall inhibitors that are currently in experimental or clinical development for the treatment of some invasive mycoses.
Elsevier
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