Fungal Diseases and Their Treatment: A Holistic Approach

Fungal infections are one of the most common infections in humans and other animals. Fungal diseases are more common in tropical and subtropical countries. Worldwide more than a billion people suffer from fungal infections annually. Fungal pathogens (yeasts and molds) are diverse in their pathogenesis and they can cause mild infections to life-threatening fungal diseases. For the treatment of fungal infections, only a few classes of antifungal drugs are available because there are many similarities between fungal and human cells. Treatment of fungal infections is becoming more challenging because of the emergence of resistance to currently available drugs. Azole drug is the most common class of antifungal drug which is widely used for the treatment of superficial to systemic infections but unfortunately, many fungal pathogens (e.g., Candida, Aspergillus, Histoplasma, and Paracoccidioides etc.) have developed resistance. Most of the azole resistant fungi also develop resistance against the echinocandin class of drugs. The most common drug-resistance mechanisms include hyphal switching, alteration of drug targets, increased drug efflux by transporter proteins (ABC transporters or Facilitated diffusion superfamily transporter), and permeability barriers associated with biofilms. Thus, this area is in need of some outstanding work to control drug resistant fungal infections. Recently some new therapeutic approaches such as new formulations for antifungal agents, nanoparticle based drugs and immunotherapy (such as vaccines) are under trial to prevent and treat fungal diseases and inducing the production of host antimicrobial molecules. In this book chapter, we describe common fungal diseases, fungal pathogens, disease-causing factors, drug resistant fungal pathogens, mechanisms involved in the emergence of drug resistance, epidemiology of fungal diseases, advanced diagnostic techniques, current and future treatment plans and discuss new approaches for the management of fungal diseases.