Our Funds at Work

The cloning and characterization of the antifungal resistance genes of Trichophyton mentagrophytes

Aditya K. Gupta, MD, Toronto Western Research Institute, Toronto, ON

Dermatophytes are fungi that can cause infections of the skin, hair, and nails due to their ability to utilize keratin. Many of the cases of onychomycosis are caused by the dermatophyte, Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The disease is generally not life-threatening, and is viewed mainly as a cosmetic concern in initial stages, though without treatment, the nails can become thick enough to be physically debilitating. Although onychomycosis generally targets the elderly or health-compromised patients inflicted by diabetes or by immune system disorders, its incidence has been rapidly increasing due to the importation of Trichophyton strains from abroad, in concert with an increase in the ageing population. Currently it is estimated that 13% of the North American population suffers from onychomycosis.
Although T. mentagrophytes infections are normally treated with antifungals, there is evidence that effective treatment can be compromised by T. mentagrophytes’s ability to adapt to prolonged drug exposure. A clear understanding of the molecular mechanisms for T. mentagrophytes drug resistance is therefore critical in new drugs formulation and for devising effective treatment regimens. The aim of this project is to identify and isolate the T. mentagrophytes drug resistant genes as a first step in determining their mode of action and relevance in instances where there is failure of antimycotic therapy when treating onychomycosis.

©2007