Therapeutic jackpots lie within the reach of multiscale and integrated mycological research.
The 9th International Mycological Congress, hosted by the British Mycological Society and the International Mycological Association, attracted 1600 delegates from around the world. Among the many hundreds of submitted abstracts, plenary lectures and invited talks, the direct relevance of such an eclectic and diverse array of fungal biology to the future sourcing of novel antifungal agents at first glance seems questionable. On the contrary, however, common observations emergent from all of the five scientific themes were the value and timeliness of integrative biology in deciphering the origin and physiological basis of fungal virulence, and the application of basic fungal biology to rationalized fungal anti-infective development, and natural product mining for anti-infective and anti-proliferative product discovery. This article will focus on the extent to which current mycological research can be exploited for novel therapeutic advantage and examines the challenges involved in maximizing the translational potential of such research.
Microbiology Section, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK. e.bignell@imperial.ac.uk
Elaine
E
Bignell
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001688:Biological Products / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D035843:Biomedical Research; D055808:Drug Discovery; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D001688:Biological Products