Host-Pathogen Molecular Factors Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Rhizopus spp. in Diabetes Mellitus

AbstractPurpose of ReviewInfectious diseases represent up to 12% of all deaths in people with diabetes mellitus (DM). The development and progression of DM generate a chronic inflammatory state with unique characteristics that have been exploited by some pathogens; one of them isRhizopus spp., a fungus considered the causative agent of mucormycosis. This disease has a poor prognosis with high mortality rates, and the apparition of resistant isolates each year has become a worrying concern. DM is an actual and continuing health problem, and for that reason, it is of foremost importance to study the pathogenesis of mucormycosis to generate new prevention and treatment strategies.Recent FindingsThe worldwide incidence of mucormycosis has increased in recent years. The pathogenic mechanisms and factors identified inRhizopus spp. are the cell wall, spore germination, proteins, and enzymes related to iron sequestration, CotH fungal protein, positive regulation of the GRP78 cell receptor, and immune evasion due to survival within phagocytes, among others. The physiopathology of DM offers favorable conditions for the successful replication ofRhizopus spp.SummaryThe main reason for increase of incidence of mucormycosis caused byRhizopus spp. has been associated with the rise of worldwide prevalence of DM. Knowing the fungal pathogenic mechanisms as well as the relationships betweenRhizopus with the microenvironment found in the human body will undoubtedly help generate better antifung...
Source: Current Tropical Medicine Reports - Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research