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This volume provides an overview of basic concepts in medical mycology. It introduces the concepts of fungal virulence for selected and major fungal pathogens, emphasizes the importance of the host and especially the hosts immune system for the development of fungal infection and also addresses clinical issues like diagnosis and therapy of fungal infections.
List of contents
From Commensal to Pathogen: Candida albicans.- Aspergillus fumigatus: Saprotroph to Pathogen.- Systems Biology Approaches to Understand and Predict Fungal Virulence.- Receptor-Ligand Interactions in Fungal Infections.- Macrophages in the Immune Response against Cryptococcus.- T Cell Responses in Fungal Infections.- Molecular Mechanisms of Histoplasma Pathogenesis.- Visualizing Immune Responses in Fungal Infections - Established and Novel Methods.- Mucosal Immunology in Candida albicans Infection.- Invasive Aspergillosis in the Intensive Care Unit.- Molecular Epidemiology of Pneumocystis Outbreaks.- Infections Caused by Mucorales.- Diagnostics of Fungal Infections.- Therapeutic Strategies in Fungal Infections.- Antifungal Pharmacokinetics.
Summary
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.
Additional text
From the book reviews:
“The Editor is to be congratulated on largely achieving his aim of producing an inspiring work for the fungi of major medical concern, but dermatophytes and other opportunistic fungi do not feature as strongly as might be expected in such a title. … this volume does approach that for the major human pathogens and should be accessible to both practising consultants and pathologists, as well as to researchers and those studying medical microbiology.” (Ima Fungus, Vol. 5 (1), June, 2014)
Report
From the book reviews:
"The Editor is to be congratulated on largely achieving his aim of producing an inspiring work for the fungi of major medical concern, but dermatophytes and other opportunistic fungi do not feature as strongly as might be expected in such a title. ... this volume does approach that for the major human pathogens and should be accessible to both practising consultants and pathologists, as well as to researchers and those studying medical microbiology." (Ima Fungus, Vol. 5 (1), June, 2014)
