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Drug resistance

The fight against fungi

Nature volume 452, pages 541–542 (2008)Cite this article

Although several drugs are available to combat often-deadly fungal infections, many of these pathogens have acquired multidrug resistance. Discerning how they have achieved this could help us hit back.

When we think of infectious agents, it is viruses and bacteria that first come to mind — fungi do not sound especially threatening. But opportunistic fungal infection is an emerging problem, particularly for immunocompromised patients such as those with AIDS and cancer, or those who have undergone organ transplants. Fortunately, a number of effective antifungal drugs are on hand. But, like many other infectious microorganisms, pathogenic fungi have not taken this challenge silently, and have become resistant to not just one but several of these drugs. On page 604 of this issue, Thakur et al.1 shed light on the molecular mechanism behind antifungal-drug resistance.

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Figure 1: How pathogenic fungi might implement drug resistance1.

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  1. André Goffeau is at the Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 5/15, 1349 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. andre.goffeau@scarlet.be ,

    André Goffeau

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  1. André Goffeau
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Goffeau, A. The fight against fungi. Nature 452, 541–542 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/452541a

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