Language
Country/Area
No result found
An invisible invader like a virus! How does N. glabratus resist treatment through biofilms?
The term Nakaseomyces glabratus is increasingly common in today's medical environment, especially among people with weakened immune systems. This yeast, once known as Candida glabrata, has recently received greater attention due to its increasing pathogenicity. As a commensal in human mucosal tissues, the behavior of N. glabratus has been altered by a variety of factors, turning it into an opportunistic pathogen.
"N. glabratus is the second or third most common cause of vaginal candidiasis, especially in immunocompromised patients."
The increasing incidence of N. glabratus infection in patients with diabetes, AIDS, and treatment-induced immunosuppression has prompted the scientific community to conduct in-depth research on its pathological mechanisms. The drug resistance of N. glabratus is not only manifested in its intrinsic resistance to fungi, such as its low efficiency to drugs such as fluconazole, but more importantly, its biofilm formation, making it more hidden during treatment. Difficult to overcome.
Anti-fungal challenges
The biofilm of N. glabratus is the focal point of its defense system; this is no ordinary immune evasion. Biofilm formation is associated with its adaptation to many environmental conditions. When N. glabratus is exposed to the body's immune system and antifungal treatment, it activates multiple adhesion genes, which are mainly located in the subtelomeres of its chromosomes. area.
"The expression of attachment genes enables N. glabratus to establish adhesion on a variety of surfaces and form robust biofilms."
Within these biofilms, N. glabratus is resistant to most antifungal drugs, especially the common fluconazole class. Therefore, although other fungal drugs such as amphotericin B can be used clinically for treatment, most of these highly effective drugs are the last resort with obvious side effects, and the risks of using the drugs cannot be ignored.
Current Status of Diagnosis and Treatment
The challenge in diagnosing N. glabratus infection lies in its performance in culture. In the case of vaginal infection, it often takes several days of culture to get results, and the accuracy of urine tests can be relatively low. This makes it difficult to quickly determine the pathogen of the infection, especially for skin infections, where sample tests often come back negative and special evaluations must be relied upon.
"Although N. glabratus is considered the second most pathogenic yeast after Candida albicans, drug resistance is becoming increasingly serious."
In addition, N. glabratus is becoming increasingly resistant to the antifungal drug cocktail Eka, which is no longer effective with existing therapies, forcing patients to rely on expensive and toxic treatment options. In contrast, adjunctive therapies, such as boric acid, have been used in the care of chronic infections, although responses to treatment are variable.
Understanding of Evolution and Microbiology
Studies have shown that N. glabratus is increasingly related to other yeasts, and its similarities to the brewer's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae provide clues to explore its evolutionary history. Previous studies have indicated that N. glabratus belongs to the Nakaseomyces group in terms of biological classification, and this classification is closely related to its history of whole genome duplication events.
"The common descent between the ancestors of N. glabratus and other Jesus yeasts dates back 200 to 300 million years."
Indeed, today, treatment strategies for N. glabratus infections are constantly being refined, and new research is advancing our understanding of this tenacious pathogen. In the fight against N. glabratus, the scientific community needs to find new innovative treatments and solutions to fight this invisible invader. As we gradually understand the biology and evolution behind it, can we find an effective way to win?
