Recent Advances in Human Fungal Diseases: Progress and Prospects

The book explores Candida and candidiasis, and Aspergillus and aspergillosis, two significant fungal infectious diseases.

In the first section, various aspects of Candida infection are covered. The book delves into the epidemiology of Candida infections, highlighting their prevalence and distribution. It thoroughly discusses diagnostics and pathogenesis of candidiasis, providing valuable insights into the identification, and understanding of the disease. Additionally, the book addresses the growing concern of drug resistance and provides an overview of current therapeutics for candidiasis.

Chapters in the second section examine the epidemiology of Aspergillus infections, providing a comprehensive understanding of their occurrence and impact. It discusses the diagnostics and pathogenesis of aspergillosis, shedding light on the methods for accurate diagnosis and the mechanisms by which the infection develops. It explores the host-pathogen interaction and the role of biofilms in these infections. Furthermore, the book addresses the pressing issue of drug resistance in aspergillosis and presents an overview of therapeutic approaches available for managing the disease.

This book serves as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and healthcare professionals seeking in-depth knowledge of these fungal infectious diseases.

Dr. Saif Hameed is currently an associate professor at Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana (AUH), India. Dr. Hameed did his Bachelors’s from University of Delhi and Masters’s from Jamia Hamdard in 2003 and 2005 respectively. He did his doctoral studies in Life Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2010 where he also received CSIR research associateship for the one-year postdoctoral work. He worked as visiting scholar at Institut für Mikrobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany in 2008. He received the Young Scientist award under the fast-track Scheme from the science and engineering research board, Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi in the year 2012. He is a life member of the International Society of Infectious Diseases (ISID), Association for Microbiologists (AMI), India and Society of Biological Chemists (SBC), India. Dr. Hameed is actively engaged in research in the field of medical microbiology particularly antibiotic resistance in pathogenic fungi. He has 70 peer-reviewed papers to his credit in international journals of repute along with 6 books. He has supervised 6 PhD students and guided 25 UG and PG level students for their research projects.

Dr. Pooja Vijayaraghavan is a as professor at Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India. She is a prominent scientist in the field of antifungal research. Her major focus area is to evaluate the biological efficacy of naturally occurring small molecules and synthetically designed analogues against pathogenic fungal species, with a particular emphasis on human pathogens such as Aspergillus fumigatus and Rhizopus oryzae, along with plant pathogenic fungi like Magnaporthe oryzae and Curvularia lunata. She has published many peer-reviewed articles which have provided invaluable global perspectives and insights. Dr. Vijayaraghavan has obtained 17+ patents, with four patents already granted and others currently undergoing scrutiny. Her research has successfully transformed three patented innovations into practical products in collaboration with various industries. These include a herbal hand sanitizer, a biopolymer-based film for enhancing the shelf life of perishable fruits and vegetables, and a biopesticide to combat rice blast disease.