Immunology of Fungal Infections

Dear Colleagues,

The occurrence of fungal infections is rising and serious threat to public health, yet this problem is relatively under-appreciated by the press, the public and funding agencies. Of particular concern are invasive fungal infections, most often caused by Cryptococcus, Candida, Aspergillus, and Pneumocystis species, which are associated with mortality rates that often exceed 50% and predominantly affect vulnerable patients, such as neonates, transplant and cancer patients, despite the availability of antifungal drugs. Although not fatal, the worldwide burden of superficial fungal infections is vast, causing ~1.7 billion cases of skin and nail diseases, followed by mucosal infections of the oral and genital tracts, especially vulvovaginal candidiasis. In fact, ~75% of women suffer from at least one episode of vulvovaginal candidiasis, and 75 million women have at least four episodes annually. In regions with limited health care provision, HIV/AIDS adds nearly 10 million cases of oral thrush annually, and 2 million cases of esophageal Candida infections. Recently, it has become apparent that some pathogenic fungi exhibit resistance to our limited arsenal of antifungal drugs, and thus the requirement for immune-based therapies and novel antifungal drugs to counteract these worrying trends is now greater than ever. Recent advances in the fungal immunology field have led to an increasing awareness of the impact of commensal fungi on health and disease, as well as the intricate fungal evasion mechanisms that promote infection. Innate recognition of fungal cell wall components and morphotypes, and the subsequent immune activation has further enhanced our knowledge of host–fungus interactions and how these impact on pathogenesis. Exploration and understanding of these complex conversations are hoped to bring novel insights that will feed the development of strategies to treat and prevent fungal infections in humans.

To coincide with the upcoming Gordon Research Seminar ‘Immunology of Fungal Infections’, Pathogens will launch a Special Issue devoted to presenting cutting-edge ideas and novel insights into the mechanisms underlying fungal-host interactions, the molecular pathways that promote protection against fungal infections, and how this information might be exploited in the clinic. 

Both original research and review articles are welcomed. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Fungal Infections at Mucosal Surfaces
• Pulmonary Immunity to Fungal Infections
• Adaptive Antifungal Immunity
• Organ-Specific Antifungal Immunity
• The Pathogen Perspective: Fungal Adaptation to the Immune Response

Dr. Marc Swidergall
Dr. Rebecca A. Drummond
Guest Editors

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