Reinforcing the Immunocompromised Host Defense against Fungi: Progress beyond the Current State of the Art
Despite the availability of a variety of antifungal drugs, opportunistic fungal infections still remain life-threatening for immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation or solid organ transplantation. Suboptimal efficacy, toxicity, development o...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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Series: | Journal of Fungi |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/7/6/451 |
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author | Georgios Karavalakis Evangelia Yannaki Anastasia Papadopoulou |
author_facet | Georgios Karavalakis Evangelia Yannaki Anastasia Papadopoulou |
author_sort | Georgios Karavalakis |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Despite the availability of a variety of antifungal drugs, opportunistic fungal infections still remain life-threatening for immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation or solid organ transplantation. Suboptimal efficacy, toxicity, development of resistant variants and recurrent episodes are limitations associated with current antifungal drug therapy. Adjunctive immunotherapies reinforcing the host defense against fungi and aiding in clearance of opportunistic pathogens are continuously gaining ground in this battle. Here, we review alternative approaches for the management of fungal infections going beyond the state of the art and placing an emphasis on fungus-specific T cell immunotherapy. Harnessing the power of T cells in the form of adoptive immunotherapy represents the strenuous protagonist of the current immunotherapeutic approaches towards combating invasive fungal infections. The progress that has been made over the last years in this field and remaining challenges as well, will be discussed. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:41:07Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-7e3b476d4a2f43d7a570021dd866f3d2 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2309-608X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:41:07Z |
publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Journal of Fungi |
spelling | doaj.art-7e3b476d4a2f43d7a570021dd866f3d22023-11-21T22:58:56ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2021-06-017645110.3390/jof7060451Reinforcing the Immunocompromised Host Defense against Fungi: Progress beyond the Current State of the ArtGeorgios Karavalakis0Evangelia Yannaki1Anastasia Papadopoulou2Hematology Department-Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Unit, Gene and Cell Therapy Center, “George Papanikolaou” Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, GreeceHematology Department-Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Unit, Gene and Cell Therapy Center, “George Papanikolaou” Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, GreeceHematology Department-Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Unit, Gene and Cell Therapy Center, “George Papanikolaou” Hospital, 57010 Thessaloniki, GreeceDespite the availability of a variety of antifungal drugs, opportunistic fungal infections still remain life-threatening for immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation or solid organ transplantation. Suboptimal efficacy, toxicity, development of resistant variants and recurrent episodes are limitations associated with current antifungal drug therapy. Adjunctive immunotherapies reinforcing the host defense against fungi and aiding in clearance of opportunistic pathogens are continuously gaining ground in this battle. Here, we review alternative approaches for the management of fungal infections going beyond the state of the art and placing an emphasis on fungus-specific T cell immunotherapy. Harnessing the power of T cells in the form of adoptive immunotherapy represents the strenuous protagonist of the current immunotherapeutic approaches towards combating invasive fungal infections. The progress that has been made over the last years in this field and remaining challenges as well, will be discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/7/6/451fungal infectionsfungus-specific T cellsT cell immunotherapy |
spellingShingle | Georgios Karavalakis Evangelia Yannaki Anastasia Papadopoulou Reinforcing the Immunocompromised Host Defense against Fungi: Progress beyond the Current State of the Art Journal of Fungi fungal infections fungus-specific T cells T cell immunotherapy |
title | Reinforcing the Immunocompromised Host Defense against Fungi: Progress beyond the Current State of the Art |
title_full | Reinforcing the Immunocompromised Host Defense against Fungi: Progress beyond the Current State of the Art |
title_fullStr | Reinforcing the Immunocompromised Host Defense against Fungi: Progress beyond the Current State of the Art |
title_full_unstemmed | Reinforcing the Immunocompromised Host Defense against Fungi: Progress beyond the Current State of the Art |
title_short | Reinforcing the Immunocompromised Host Defense against Fungi: Progress beyond the Current State of the Art |
title_sort | reinforcing the immunocompromised host defense against fungi progress beyond the current state of the art |
topic | fungal infections fungus-specific T cells T cell immunotherapy |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/7/6/451 |
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