One Century of Study: What We Learned about <i>Paracoccidioides</i> and How This Pathogen Contributed to Advances in Antifungal Therapy
2021
Erika Seki Kioshima | Patrícia de Souza Bonfim de Mendonça | Marcus de Melo Teixeira | Isis Regina Grenier Capoci | André Amaral | Franciele Abigail Vilugron Rodrigues-Vendramini | Bruna Lauton Simões | Ana Karina Rodrigues Abadio | Larissa Fernandes Matos | Maria Sueli Soares Felipe
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a notable fungal infection restricted to Latin America. Since the first description of the disease by Lutz up to the present day, Brazilian researchers have contributed to the understanding of the life cycle of this pathogen and provided the possibility of new targets for antifungal therapy based on the structural and functional genomics of <i>Paracoccidioides</i>. In this context, <i>in silico</i> approaches have selected molecules that act on specific targets, such as the thioredoxin system, with promising antifungal activity against <i>Paracoccidioides</i>. Some of these are already in advanced development stages. In addition, the application of nanostructured systems has addressed issues related to the high toxicity of conventional PCM therapy. Thus, the contribution of molecular biology and biotechnology to the advances achieved is unquestionable. However, it is still necessary to transcend the boundaries of synthetic chemistry, pharmaco-technics, and pharmacodynamics, aiming to turn promising molecules into newly available drugs for the treatment of fungal diseases.
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