Current Progress in Medical Mycology

Infections caused by fungi have recently attracted the attention of both clinicians and basic researchers given the heavy burden they represent for any health system. The mortality and morbidity rates associated to mycosis are progressively rising simply because some of these diseases are still neglected by health-care workers and due to the changing sensitivity to antifungal drugs displayed by these organisms. In this book, both researchers and clinicians working in the medical mycology field explore the most recent literature about specific mycosis; placing in one concise chapter thoroughly revisions of the current knowledge on virulence factors, recognition by immune cells, immunoevasion, epidemiology, new diagnosis trends and therapeutics. This book is recommended to researchers, physicians and students interested in medical mycology.

Héctor Manuel Mora-Montes got his PhD degree from Universidad de Guanajuato, México working on the biochemical and molecular characterization of C. albicans mannosidases. He was a research fellow under the supervision of Prof. Neil Gow (University of Aberdeen, UK) where he worked with C. albicans null mutants, protein glycosylation pathways and isolation and manipulation of human immune cells, with emphasis in the host-immune cell interaction. He started the Laboratory of Fungal Glycobiology at Universidad de Guanajuato with the goal of understanding the synthesis mechanisms of the fungal cell wall and medically relevant fungi-host interaction. Currently he is translating his expertise to C. non-albicans species and members of the Sporothrix schenckii complex; the latter an emergent pathogen in Latin America, India and China. Recently he acquired editorial duties in peer-reviewed international journals and also as the Deputy Presidentof the Latin-American Society of Glycobiology.

Leila M. Lopes Bezerra got her PhD degree in Biochemistry from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and, is currently an Associate Professor at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and a National Research Fellow of CNPq, in Brazil. Prof. Lopes-Bezerra conducted her postdoctoral studies at the Division of Infectious Diseases of Harbor-UCLA (University of California, USA) under the supervision of Dr. Scott Filler. She has also performed two senior internships working with Prof. Concha Gil (Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain) and recently, in the Aberdeen Fungal Group (University of Aberdeen, UK) with Prof. Carol Munro and Prof. Neil Gow. She created the Laboratory of Cellular Mycology and Proteomic where she uses in vitro and in vivo models to study animal and human sporotrichosis, and invasive aspergillosis. The in vitro model for the study of sporotrichosis comprises the use of human macrophage and emerging Sporothrix spp. pathogens. To study invasive aspergillosis she developed a model using Aspergillus fumigatus and human endothelial cell.  She is interested in the identification of cell wall components involved in the fungus-host interaction.