Immunotherapy for Fungal Infections
Year: 2002
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: Most fungal pathogens are low-virulence organisms that seldom cause serious infections in individuals with intact immune function. However, fungal infections have emerged as a major medical problem in the second half of the 20th century. Factors that have contributed to this phenomenon are: (1) the development of therapies for cancer and autoimmune disorders that produce immune suppression as a consequence of their therapeutic effects; (2) increased use of indwelling vascular devices and invasive surgical techniques that compromise the integrity of the skin; (3) the use of broad spectrum antibacterial drugs that disrupt the host microbial flora and predispose to fungal superinfection; and (4) the epidemic of HIV infection that has resulted in many individuals with impaired immunologic function at risk for fungal infection. Fungi are notorious for producing chronic infections requiring prolonged therapy. The problems posed by fungal infections are compounded by the availability of only a few antifungal drugs that are relatively ineffective in patients with impaired immunity. In fact, many types of fungal infections in patients with impaired immune function cannot be eradicated with antifungal therapy. For example, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis, and histoplasmosis are generally considered to be incurable in patients with advanced HIV infection. The major fungal infections and the conditions that predispose to them are listed in Table 1.
Source: Humana Press eBooks
Author: Arturo Casadevall
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W147767979