title: Immune modulators as adjuncts for the prevention and treatment of invasive fungal infections.
abstract: Invasive fungal diseases are increasingly important opportunistic infections that are intimately linked to immune-suppression in the context of cytotoxic treatment of neoplastic diseases, stem cell and solid-organ transplantation, and primary immune deficiencies. Mortality rates remain high despite the availability of novel antifungals that are both safe and highly active in vitro, suggesting that clinical outcomes may be improved through modulation of host immunity. Ongoing advances in our knowledge of fungal-host interactions facilitate rational design of novel immunotherapeutics. Thus, antifungal immunotherapy now includes age-old interventions such as granulocyte and immunoglobulin transfusions, as well as promising experimental techniques such as antifungal vaccines and adoptive immunotherapy. To realize the potential of these rapidly evolving technologies, transition from the bench to clinical-phase studies must occur at a more rapid pace.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center & Sackler School of Medicine, 6 Weizman, Tel Aviv 64239, Israel.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pikman
authors.forename: Ronen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben-Ami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005657:Fungal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000637:transplantation; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009181:Mycoses / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D016377:Organ Transplantation
chemical_list: D005657:Fungal Vaccines; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents