Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Ksiezopolska, Ewa
• Gabaldón, Toni

Titel

Evolutionary Emergence of Drug Resistance in Candida Opportunistic Pathogens

Ist Teil von

• Genes, 2018-09, Vol.9 (9), p.461

Ort / Verlag

Switzerland: MDPI AG

Erscheinungsjahr

2018

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

EZB Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Fungal infections, such as candidiasis caused by , pose a problem of growing medical concern. In developed countries, the incidence of infections is increasing due to the higher survival of susceptible populations, such as immunocompromised patients or the elderly. Existing treatment options are limited to few antifungal drug families with efficacies that vary depending on the infecting species. In this context, the emergence and spread of resistant isolates are being increasingly reported. Understanding how resistance can evolve within naturally susceptible species is key to developing novel, more effective treatment strategies. However, in contrast to the situation of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, few studies have focused on the evolutionary mechanisms leading to drug resistance in fungal species. In this review, we will survey and discuss current knowledge on the genetic bases of resistance to antifungal drugs in opportunistic pathogens. We will do so from an evolutionary genomics perspective, focusing on the possible evolutionary paths that may lead to the emergence and selection of the resistant phenotype. Finally, we will discuss the potential of future studies enabled by current developments in sequencing technologies, in vitro evolution approaches, and the analysis of serial clinical isolates.