Immunotherapy of infections caused by rare filamentous fungi

• Published in: Clinical microbiology and infection Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 134 - 139
• Main Authors: Katragkou, A., Roilides, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2012; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Antifungal agents; Antifungal Agents - administration & dosage; Clinical trials; Clinical Trials as Topic; Colony-stimulating factors; cytokine; Cytokines; fungal infections; Fungi; Fungi - immunology; Fungi - isolation & purification; fusariosis; Growth factors; Humans; Immune response; Immune system; Immunocompromised Host; Immunologic Factors - administration & dosage; Immunotherapy; Immunotherapy - methods; Infection; Infections; Inflammation; interleukin; Leukocytes (granulocytic); Medical research; Morbidity; Mortality; mucormycosis; Mycoses - therapy; neutrophils; Phagocytes; scedosporiosis; Transfusion; Treatment Outcome; cytokine; fusariosis; immunotherapy; Colony-stimulating factors; interleukin; mucormycosis; neutrophils; scedosporiosis; fungal infections
• ISSN: 1198-743X; 1469-0691
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2011.03689.x

Invasive fungal infections caused by rare filamentous fungi constitute a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with defective immune responses. Despite the advent of new antifungal agents, the problem is escalating as the number of susceptible hosts increases and virulent, more resistant fungal strains emerge. There is evidence that reconstitution of the host immune function is a major contributor to the resolution of these infections. Therapeutic modalities aimed at increasing phagocyte numbers, such as granulocyte transfusions, stimulating the immune response, such as administration of haematopoietic growth factors and other proinflammatory cytokines, or indirectly augmenting immune function have shown promising results in the preclinical setting. Because of the rarity of the infections, multicentre clinical trials are needed to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of the new immunomodulating approaches.