Current medications aren’t particularly effective against fungi. The situation is becoming more challenging because these organisms are developing resistance to antimicrobial treatments, just as bacteria are. Now, researchers report in ACS Infectious Diseases that they have identified compounds that tackle these infections in a new way — by interfering with fungal enzymes required for fatty acid synthesis — potentially opening the door to better therapies.
Superficial infections by Candida or other types of fungi can cause irritating but relatively minor conditions such as oral thrush and athlete’s foot, but invasive infections can result in debilitating and deadly diseases such as cryptococcal meningitis and some hospital-acquired infections. More people are getting these infections because of the growing use of invasive surgery, implanted catheters and immunosuppressive therapy….
