Searching for a change: The need for increased support for public health and research on fungal diseases

Rodrigues, Márcio L.; Albuquerque, Priscila Costa

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0006479

Cited by 64 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Indeed, most high-mortality mycoses remain ignored by public health authorities and decision-makers. The financial support for fungal disease research is incredibly lower than the funding available for other infectious diseases that cause similar mortality [19,20]. For instance, for each human individual dying from malaria, US $1,315 are invested in research and development.…”

Section: Systemic Mycoses Are Neglected Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, for each human individual dying from malaria, US $1,315 are invested in research and development. Investment per death corresponds to US $334 for tuberculosis, US$276 for diarrheal diseases, and only US$31 for cryptococcal meningitis [19]. Still, there is no clear recognition of the importance of fungal diseases by international health agencies.…”

Section: Systemic Mycoses Are Neglected Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently included mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis, and "other deep mycoses" in the list of neglected tropical diseases [21], but specific information on WHO plans to combat fungal diseases is not yet available. Research on histoplasmosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, and sporotrichosis receives negligible funding [19]. Although these diseases are associated with high rates of mortality or the generation of conditions that hinder the performance of professional functions and social integration [14], none of them has been formally recognized as neglected diseases by WHO.…”

Section: Systemic Mycoses Are Neglected Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Funding For Research and Innovation In Fungal Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Funding for research on fungal diseases is unquestionably small compared to funding available for other infectious diseases that cause similar mortality [19,20]. As an illustration, funding for research on cryptococcal meningitis, the fifth deadliest infectious disease, receives 4.3-fold less funding than the disease caused by the bacterial pathogen Neisseria meningititis [19]. Of concern, reports submitted between 2008 and 2017 on funding for neglected diseases show that cryptococcal meningitis was the only measurably funded fungal disease, accounting for 0.5% of the total invested [45].…”

Section: Funding For Research and Innovation In Fungal Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fungal diseases as neglected pathogens: A wake-up call to public health officials

2020

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Fungal diseases: A real threat to public healthHuman fungal diseases differ fundamentally from other infections in diverse ways. As eukaryotic pathogens, fungi share many similarities with their host cells, which impairs the development of antifungal compounds. Fungal tropism is highly variable, as pathogens infect a wide range of cell types. A single fungal pathogen can infect multiple tissues in the same patient (depending on the host's immunological status) and can undergo morphogenic shifts during infection. Fungi are still underappreciated as major pathogens by both the public and public health officials. Diseases caused by protozoa, bacteria, and viruses have been recognized as important public health issues for centuries. For instance, syphilis, influenza, and Chagas disease have been documented for over 100 years [1], while invasive mycoses were only widely acknowledged as medically important pathogens in the 1980s [2]. Viral diseases of major population impact (such as smallpox, influenza and-more recentlydengue, Zika, Chikungunya, and coronavirus) have affected millions of people with significant effects on human health in developed, developing, and less developed nations [3,4]. These conditions have boosted the generation of knowledge, which has led to the eradication of smallpox [5], the wide availability of effective vaccines [6], and the development of diagnostic and preventive tools against influenza [7] and, more recently, Zika [8]. Bacterial diseases have profoundly impacted human health at different times in history, and although the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance is a matter of extreme concern, there are several effective tools for the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of bacterial infections [9]. Human parasitosis have been recognized to negatively impact public health in different parts of the globe for decades, which has stimulated the ongoing development of vaccines, new drugs, and diagnostic tests for malaria, sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, filariasis, and Chagas disease [10]. Fungal infections, however, are part of a different scenario. These diseases, for most of recorded history as well as the majority of the last century, have been rare or had a low impact on human health.The increase in the number of immunocompromised patients, some of whom are highly susceptible to fungal infections, has totally changed this picture. The invasive diseases caused by fungi, the so-called systemic mycoses, profoundly impact human health. Moreover, the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections (GAFFI) also highlights the devastating impact of focal fungal diseases in individuals who often have intact immune systems. GAFFI estimates that more than 1 million eyes go blind each year due to fungal keratitis [11]. Nearly one billion people have skin mycoses, which makes this disease only slightly less common on the planet than headaches and dental caries. Fungal spores contribute to significant reactive airway diseases in over 10 million individuals. In total, the GAFFI estimates that over 300 mi...

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Section: Systemic Mycoses Are Neglected Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Systemic Mycoses Are Neglected Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Systemic Mycoses Are Neglected Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Funding For Research and Innovation In Fungal Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Funding For Research and Innovation In Fungal Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fungal diseases as neglected pathogens: A wake-up call to public health officials

2020

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Multidimensional Applications and Challenges of Riboswitches in Biosensing and Biotherapy

Wu,

Zhu,

Zhang

et al. 2023

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Riboswitches have received significant attention over the last two decades for their multiple functionalities and great potential for applications in various fields. This article highlights and reviews the recent advances in biosensing and biotherapy. These fields involve a wide range of applications, such as food safety detection, environmental monitoring, metabolic engineering, live cell imaging, wearable biosensors, antibacterial drug targets, and gene therapy. The discovery, origin, and optimization of riboswitches are summarized to help readers better understand their multidimensional applications. Finally, this review discusses the multidimensional challenges and development of riboswitches in order to further expand their potential for novel applications.

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Global Catastrophic Threats from the Fungal Kingdom

Casadevall

2019

Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology

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Searching for a change: The need for increased support for public health and research on fungal diseases

Cited by 64 publications

References 20 publications

Fungal diseases as neglected pathogens: A wake-up call to public health officials

Fungal diseases as neglected pathogens: A wake-up call to public health officials

Multidimensional Applications and Challenges of Riboswitches in Biosensing and Biotherapy

Global Catastrophic Threats from the Fungal Kingdom

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