Hsp90 Orchestrates Stress Response Signaling Governing Fungal Drug Resistance

The emergence of drug resistance in microbial pathogens provides a poignant example of an evolutionary process with a profound impact on human health.Fungal drug resistance poses a particular concern given the limited number of clinically useful antifungal drugs and the growing population of immunocompromised individuals vulnerable to life-threatening fungal disease [1].The efficacy of most antifungal drugs is compromised either by host toxicity, fungistatic rather than fungicidal activity, or by the emergence of drug resistance.Recent studies have revealed that compromising the function of the molecular chaperone Hsp90 can render resistant pathogens more responsive to treatment and can thwart the evolution of fungal drug resistance [2].