Publications by authors named "R A S Hay"
Medically important pathogenic fungi invade vertebrate tissue and are considered primary when part of their nature life cycle is associated with an animal host and are usually able to infect immunocompetent hosts. Opportunistic fungal pathogens complete their life cycle in environmental habitats or occur as commensals within or on the vertebrate body, but under certain conditions can thrive upon infecting humans. The extent of host damage in opportunistic infections largely depends on the portal and modality of entry as well as on the host's immune and metabolic status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChromoblastomycosis, an implantation mycosis, is a neglected tropical disease that causes decreased quality of life, stigma, and disability. The global burden of disease is unknown and data on disease epidemiology and outcomes are severely limited by a lack of access to needed diagnostic tools and therapeutics. The World Health Organization outlined targets for chromoblastomycosis in the Road Map for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030, but little progress has been made in initiating and implementing an effective control program globally.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Small-molecule degraders can effectively target and degrade disease-driving proteins, offering a new approach for treating previously untreatable conditions.
- Researchers used cryo-EM to observe how the degrader MZ1 helps position the Brd4 protein for ubiquitination by the UBE2R1 enzyme, leading to its degradation.
- The study identifies specific lysines on Brd4 that are prone to ubiquitination and suggests a flexible model for how degrader-induced targets could be modified for better drug development.
Scabies.
Nat Rev Dis Primers
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- Scabies is a highly contagious skin disease affecting over 200 million people globally, especially children in poor and crowded areas, leading to significant health issues.
- The lack of a vaccine and limited treatment options, like topical permethrin and oral ivermectin, often results in treatment failures due to fast-acting parasites and the need for multiple treatments.
- Addressing scabies requires a comprehensive strategy, focusing on better diagnostic tools, new treatments, enhanced surveillance, and raising public awareness to break the cycle of infection.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers used advanced techniques to identify various Candida species from 300 samples and categorized them based on their ability to produce biofilms, finding that a significant percentage displayed low sensitivity to common antifungal drugs like fluconazole and nystatin.
- * The findings suggest that new antifungal agents or combinations with natural products could be promising alternatives for treating RVVC, given the challenges posed by existing medications.