The evolution of antifungal therapy: Traditional agents, current challenges and future perspectives
- David Ojcius
- 4 hours ago
- 1 min read
Highlights
Over 6.5 million people face invasive fungal infections annually, with high mortality rates due to limited drug options, toxicity, costs, and increasing resistance.
Current antifungal drugs primarily target the fungal cell membrane, DNA synthesis, or cell wall, limiting treatment efficacy and promoting resistance.
New antifungal agents are in clinical trial stages with new mechanisms of action and/or improvements in the activity of the former.
Drug repurposing, nanotechnology, antifungal peptides, combination therapies, and immunotherapies are tools with great potential to provide new antifungal alternatives.
The urgent development of safer, affordable antifungals with diverse targets is essential to save millions of lives annually.
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