New Mechanism Helps Deadly Fungus Evade Treatment
Scientists have discovered that the deadly fungus Candida auris can mutate its genome to evade antifungal treatments. This mechanism allows the pathogen to adapt and survive, posing a significant threat to intensive care patients.
Why it matters
As a critical priority pathogen, understanding how Candida auris develops drug resistance is essential for developing more effective infection control and treatment protocols.
New research has revealed an unexpected new mechanism through which the killer fungus Candida auris is resisting antifungal drug treatment.
A team led by the University of Exeter and City St George's, University of London, discovered that the fungus creates multiple versions of its entire genome, including mutating a gene which plays a role in cell wall integrity, called "Crazy-one" (CRZ1).
The study is now published in Nature Communications. The research was primarily funded by the Medical Research Council, with support from the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Exeter.
Study authors say their findings unlock a brand new mechanism that allows Candida auris to adapt to antifungal treatment and survive, which could lead to new ways to tackle the fungus.
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