Whereas plant and insect infections are commonly caused by fungi, only a small minority of the vast diversity of fungal species is pathogenic to humans. Despite this, fungal infections cause considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. This volume is dedicated to the biology, clinical presentation and management of invasive fungal infections. Major pathogenic fungi are introduced by world-leading experts and the basic principles of fungal virulence are reviewed in the light of new results and experimental technologies that offer unprecedented insights into invasive infections caused by Aspergillus, Candida, Cryptococcus, Pneumocystis and Mucorales. In parallel, the clinical presentation of invasive fungal infections and current approaches to their diagnosis and treatment are summarized to provide an overview of human pathogenic fungi, linking pathogen biology to the clinical presentation of disease.
Series: The Mycota 12
Edition: 2
Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Year: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 298
Tags: Medical Microbiology; Immunology; Allergology; Cell Biology; Eukaryotic Microbiology; Microbial Genetics and Genomics
Front Matter....Pages i-xxii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
1 From Commensal to Pathogen: Candida albicans ....Pages 3-18
2 Aspergillus fumigatus : Saprotroph to Pathogen....Pages 19-43
3 Systems Biology Approaches to Understanding and Predicting Fungal Virulence....Pages 45-74
Front Matter....Pages 75-75
4 Receptor–Ligand Interactions in Fungal Infections....Pages 77-96
5 Macrophages in the Immune Response Against Cryptococcus ....Pages 97-108
6 T Cell Responses in Fungal Infections....Pages 109-127
7 Molecular Mechanisms of Histoplasma Pathogenesis....Pages 129-140
8 Visualizing Immune Responses in Fungal Infections: Established and Novel Methods....Pages 141-160
9 Mucosal Immunology in Candida albicans Infection....Pages 161-176
Front Matter....Pages 177-177
10 Invasive Aspergillosis in the Intensive Care Unit....Pages 179-189
11 Molecular Epidemiology of Pneumocystis Outbreaks....Pages 191-203
12 Infections Caused by Mucorales....Pages 205-228
13 Diagnostics of Fungal Infections....Pages 229-259
Front Matter....Pages 261-261
14 Therapeutic Strategies in Fungal Infections....Pages 263-280
15 Antifungal Pharmacokinetics....Pages 281-290
Back Matter....Pages 291-298
