Infections caused by germs are increasing due to global warming. Researchers at the University of Georgia in the US are currently developing a vaccine once morest the dangerous fungus. So far, vaccine animal experiments have been able to reduce infections or deaths from three dangerous fungi that cause serious illness in humans. It is said that it will move to human clinical trials.
Compared to viruses and bacteria, diseases caused by fungi are uncommon. Even so, the human body is too hot for fungi to live in, and there is an immune system that prevents infection if they enter the body. However, there is concern that mold infections are increasing due to climate change. Diseases caused by mold are uncommon, but they can cause serious illness. Among them, those with poor health and low immunity are likely to have fungi growing in their bodies. Because fungal infections are difficult to treat or prevent, there are currently few approved safe vaccines for fungi.
The research team said that this vaccine study is a big step to prevent the worst case caused by fungi, and it is a vaccine to protect humans from the three major fungi, Pneumocystis, Aspergillus, and Candida, which can lead to death. It is said that the vaccine immune function is to distinguish the proteins released by fungi, and through this, immunity to the three major fungi is increased.
So far, vaccine experiments have been conducted with mice and monkeys, but when non-vaccinated animals were exposed to the fungus and observed what happens, as expected, the vaccinated animals produced antibodies once morest the fungus. The developed vaccine has been proven to definitively prevent fungal infections. A paper on this experimental study has been published.
According to the paper, there are 13 million death-related fungal infections worldwide each year. 80% of fungal deaths are due to one of the three major fungal infections. Moreover, medical expenses for a year considered to be caused by fungal treatment are 6.7 billion dollars in the United States alone. This means that if a vaccine is developed, both infectious diseases and medical costs will be reduced. Related information this placecan be found in
