Advances and Innovations in Fungal Infections

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Pathogenesis and Disease Control".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 309

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
"Ion Ionescu de la Brad" Iasi University of Life Sciences, Iasi, Romania
Interests: pathogenic fungi; in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing; antifungal resistance; novel antifungal agents; fungal biofilms; animal models of fungal infections; environmental fungi; public health implications of fungal diseases

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Guest Editor
"Ion Ionescu de la Brad" Iasi University of Life Sciences, Iasi, Romania
Interests: pathogenic yeasts; antifungals; One-Health mycology; animal models of fungal infection
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Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interests: fungi of medical importance; superficial fungal infections; IFIs; diagnosis of fungal infections; molecular methods; detection of resistant fungi; non-cultural methods
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Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: applied laboratory medicine; infectious diseases; clinical microbiology; fungal infections; diagnosis and monitoring of fungal infections; antifungal agents
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungi represent a diverse kingdom with significant ecological, medical, and industrial relevance. Recent research has expanded our understanding of fungal biology, pathogenesis, antifungal resistance, and potential therapeutic targets. Advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics have enabled the detailed characterisation of pathogenic species such as Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, and dermatophytes, revealing novel virulence mechanisms and adaptive strategies.

Emerging topics include the role of fungal biofilms in chronic infections, host–pathogen interactions at the cellular and immunological levels, and the impact of environmental and climate changes on fungal distribution and pathogenicity. Moreover, the development of novel antifungal agents such as orotomides, encochleated amphotericin B, and next-generation echinocandinsis is reshaping the treatment landscape for invasive fungal infections; this is a further topic of interest.

Interdisciplinary approaches, including the use of animal models, in vitro susceptibility testing, and environmental surveillance, are increasingly vital in addressing public health concerns related to fungal infections. This Issue highlights key findings and innovations that reflect the dynamic and evolving field of medical and environmental mycology.

Dr. Andra-Cristina Bostănaru-Iliescu
Prof. Dr. Mihai Mareș
Prof. Dr. Georgia Vrioni
Prof. Dr. Timoleon-Achilleas Vyzantiadis
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • fungal infections
  • pathogenic fungi
  • diagnostic advances
  • antifungal resistance
  • in vitro susceptibility testing
  • novel antifungal agents
  • biofilms
  • host–pathogen interaction
  • clinically important fungi in the environment
  • one-health mycology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 555 KiB  
Article
Clinical Outcomes of Critically Ill Patients with Candida spp. Peritonitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study
by Gustavo Adolfo González-González, Laura Cristina Nocua-Báez, Sugeich Melendez-Rhenals, Patricia Reyes and Jorge Alberto Cortés
J. Fungi 2025, 11(8), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11080562 - 29 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Introduction/objectives: Peritonitis resulting from Candida spp. is common among critically ill patients and has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes. This study aimed to determine the effects of isolates of Candida species in patients with peritonitis on in-hospital mortality, general hospital stay, [...] Read more.
Introduction/objectives: Peritonitis resulting from Candida spp. is common among critically ill patients and has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes. This study aimed to determine the effects of isolates of Candida species in patients with peritonitis on in-hospital mortality, general hospital stay, and intensive care unit (ICU) stays. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in two highly complex hospitals in Bogotá, Colombia, specifically by reference to patients who were hospitalized in the ICU between 2016 and 2022 with a clinical and microbiological diagnosis of peritonitis. For the analysis conducted for this research, two groups were established: patients with isolates of Candida spp. in the peritoneum and patients who had at least one bacterial microorganism in the culture. Multivariate logistic regression models and counting models featuring different mortality outcomes, different lengths of stay in the ICU, and different lengths of stay in the hospital were generated to evaluate the effect of the presence of Candida spp. and to account for potentially confounding variables. Results: A total of 373 patients, including 83 with Candida spp. and 290 with a bacterial etiology, were identified. Among the former group of patients, the most frequently identified species were C. albicans (50, 60.2%), C. tropicalis (18, 21.7%), and C. glabrata (7, 8.4%), whereas among the latter group, E. coli (186, 48.5%), K. pneumoniae (110, 29.8%), and E. faecalis (63, 16.9%) were most frequent. The 30-day mortality rate among patients with peritonitis and Candida isolates was 36.1%, and the corresponding rate among patients in the bacterial peritonitis group was 31.4% (p = 0.071). After adjustments were made to account for covariates, no significant differences were observed in mortality at 30 days (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.20–1.18), length of hospital stay (iRR 1.11, 95% CI 0.90–1.40), or length of stay in the ICU (iRR 1.11, 95% CI 0.39) with respect to patients with peritonitis without fungal isolates. The Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS2) (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03–1.06), World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) score (OR 1.11, (1.03–1.19), previous use of antifungals (OR 2.33, 1.21–4.52), and connective tissue disease (OR 3.71, 95% CI 1.30–10.99) were associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions: The isolation of Candida species in peritoneal fluid from critically ill patients with peritonitis was not significantly associated with in-hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, or length of ICU stay after adjustments were made to account for other variables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Innovations in Fungal Infections)
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