BACKGROUND Hsp90 is an environmentally contingent molecular chaperone that influences the form and function of diverse regulators of cellular signaling. Hsp90 potentiates the evolution of fungal drug resistance by enabling crucial cellular stress responses. Here we demonstrate that in the leading fungal pathogen of humans, Candida albicans, Hsp90 governs cellular circuitry required not only for...

Among pathogenic fungi, Candida albicans is most frequently associated with biofilm formation, a lifestyle that is entirely different from the planktonic state. One of the distinguishing features of these biofilms is the presence of extracellular material, commonly referred to as the "biofilm matrix." The fungal biofilm matrix embeds sessile cells within these communities and plays important st...

Fungal infections are diseases that considered neglected although their infection rates have increased worldwide in the last decades. Thus, since antifungal arsenal is restricted and many strains shown resistance, new therapeutic alternatives necessary. Nanoparticles important to promote drug delivery. In this sense, objective of present study was evaluate contributions newly developed nanopart...

There is a clinical need for new treatment option as a result of continued increase in the expression of resistance among bacterial and fungal pathogens. A number of compounds currently in development show promise. However, in some cases, there is concern that resistance may develop quickly to new compounds that are based on existing antimicrobial agents. So it is therefore desirable to develop...

We show that mode of selection, degree of dominance of mutations, and ploidy are determining factors in the evolution of resistance to the antifungal drug fluconazole in yeast. In experiment 1, yeast populations were subjected to a stepwise increase in fluconazole concentration over 400 generations. Under this regimen, two mutations in the same two chromosomal regions rose to high frequency in ...

extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (xdr-tb) is a new challenge for tuberculosis control programs. lack of effective drugs and high rate of failure in treatment and mortality is a major threat for public health. treatment of this serious infection needs well-designed individualized dosage regimen and powerful national tb program. in this review we will describe the xdr-tb definition and its...

Invasive fungal infections with high mortality rate are a growing health concern in hospitals and medical centers. The infection usually occurs in people with compromised immune systems. The purpose of this paper is a review of the most commonly prescribed antifungal drugs for invasive fungal diseases. Antifungals consist of the four main groups; polyenes, azoles, echinocandins and DNA an...

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes life-threatening infections of the central nervous system. Existing therapies include amphotericin B, fluconazole, and flucytosine, which are limited by toxic side effects and the emergence of drug resistance. We recently demonstrated that the protein phosphatase calcineurin is required for growth at 37 degrees C and virule...

The Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections, held March 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, brought the issue of antimicrobial drug resistance to the forefront. Results of a survey that polled members of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America regarding critical knowledge gaps and research priorities were presented. Respondents reported that 3 of the 5...