Gamma interferon could aid fight against fungal infections

[Guest guest]

Gamma interferon could aid fight against fungal infections

Medical Research News

Published: Thursday, 1-Nov-2007

News-Medical.net - Sydney,Australia*

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=32029

Interferon, the " superhero " cure for viral infections, may be a

strong weapon in the battle against fungal infections in

immunocompromised patients, according to an article in the November

issue of Microbiology Today.

Fungal infections (mycoses) were once seen as exotic diseases, but

this is changing rapidly. Although rarely life-threatening in

healthy patients, fungal infections are a major problem for the

immunocompromised, including HIV patients and people receiving

chemotherapy for cancer. Treatment is becoming difficult due to

fungal resistance to the antifungal therapy, the variety of disease-

causing fungi found and the toxic effects of conventional therapy.

Now, scientists believe gamma interferon, a protein molecule

produced by human cells in response to infections, may help to fight

fungal infections. " Immune cells called neutrophils are rapidly

recruited to the site of infection and play an essential role in

fungal killing, " say Drs. Capilla, Karl Clemons and

s, of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Stanford Medical

School and the California Institute for Medical Research. " Gamma

interferon enhances the mechanisms of these cells to make them more

potent killers of fungi. "

Tests on many fungal infections, including blastomycosis, candidosis

and aspergillosis have shown that gamma interferon has beneficial

effects in terms of the reduction of the fungus in the organs and on

animal survival. But according to Dr s, interferon is not the

only answer. " Therapy using gamma interferon alone has failed to

clear the fungus completely from infected tissues but it has great

potential to add to conventional therapy. "

" When gamma interferon was given to mice infected with Cryptococcus

along with amphotericin B, a standard antifungal treatment, the rate

of cure was significantly higher than using one therapy alone. We

need to look at the route of administration, the frequency of dosing

and the dosage given before we can determine fully the use of gamma

interferon as an adjunctive therapy. "

There is still work to be done. " We explored the possibility of

using gene therapy for delivering gamma interferon into the nervous

system to combat fungal meningitis. Studies of this type suggest a

potential clinical use for specific gamma interferon gene therapy in

the future. Treatment with gamma-interferon offers a new additional

approach to treatment and it provides a new approach to treating

difficult diseases. However, clinical trials must document the

benefit for patients " says Dr s.

Other features in the November 2007 issue of Microbiology Today

include:

Interferon: The Early Days (page 156)

Viruses and Interferon - 50 years on (page 160)

Chemokines, receptors and virus infection (page 164)

Gamma interferon - key, but not sufficient for protection against

TB " (page 172)

Comment: Microbiology - a degree of concern (page 200)

These are just some of the articles that appear, together with all

the regular features and reports of Society activities.

http://www.sgm.ac.uk/

[Guest guest]

It's great to see that they are continuing to develope medication

for patients that have developed fungal infections/colonization.

What I don't see and this may be because they haven't gotten the

full grasp or understand the byproducts that the fungus produce. I'd

like to see more interest and research on mycotoxins that continue

to circulate within our organs causing further damage. The only

medication that I am aware of today and scientific research is the

data that Dr.Shoemaker has developed to remove these biotoxins. I

guess you might say that this is only the first step to help people

like ourselves recover.

KC

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> Gamma interferon could aid fight against fungal infections

> Medical Research News

> News-Medical.net - Sydney,Australia*

>

>

> http://www.news-medical.net/?id=32029

>

> Interferon, the " superhero " cure for viral infections, may be a

> strong weapon in the battle against fungal infections in

> immunocompromised patients, according to an article in the

November

> issue of Microbiology Today.

> Fungal infections (mycoses) were once seen as exotic diseases, but

> this is changing rapidly. Although rarely life-threatening in

> healthy patients, fungal infections are a major problem for the

> immunocompromised, including HIV patients and people receiving

> chemotherapy for cancer. Treatment is becoming difficult due to

> fungal resistance to the antifungal therapy, the variety of

disease-

> causing fungi found and the toxic effects of conventional therapy.

>

> Now, scientists believe gamma interferon, a protein molecule

> produced by human cells in response to infections, may help to

fight

> fungal infections. " Immune cells called neutrophils are rapidly

> recruited to the site of infection and play an essential role in

> fungal killing, " say Drs. Capilla, Karl Clemons and

> s, of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Stanford Medical

> School and the California Institute for Medical Research. " Gamma

> interferon enhances the mechanisms of these cells to make them

more

> potent killers of fungi. "

>

> Tests on many fungal infections, including blastomycosis,

candidosis

> and aspergillosis have shown that gamma interferon has beneficial

> effects in terms of the reduction of the fungus in the organs and

on

> animal survival. But according to Dr s, interferon is not

the

> only answer. " Therapy using gamma interferon alone has failed to

> clear the fungus completely from infected tissues but it has great

> potential to add to conventional therapy. "

>

> " When gamma interferon was given to mice infected with

Cryptococcus

> along with amphotericin B, a standard antifungal treatment, the

rate

> of cure was significantly higher than using one therapy alone. We

> need to look at the route of administration, the frequency of

dosing

> and the dosage given before we can determine fully the use of

gamma

> interferon as an adjunctive therapy. "

>

> There is still work to be done. " We explored the possibility of

> using gene therapy for delivering gamma interferon into the

nervous

> system to combat fungal meningitis. Studies of this type suggest a

> potential clinical use for specific gamma interferon gene therapy

in

> the future. Treatment with gamma-interferon offers a new

additional

> approach to treatment and it provides a new approach to treating

> difficult diseases. However, clinical trials must document the

> benefit for patients " says Dr s.

>

> Other features in the November 2007 issue of Microbiology Today

> include:

>

> Interferon: The Early Days (page 156)

> Viruses and Interferon - 50 years on (page 160)

> Chemokines, receptors and virus infection (page 164)

> Gamma interferon - key, but not sufficient for protection against

> TB " (page 172)

> Comment: Microbiology - a degree of concern (page 200)

> These are just some of the articles that appear, together with all

> the regular features and reports of Society activities.

>

> http://www.sgm.ac.uk/

>