Fungal Biology and Pathogenesis (FBP) – IIDA (82)

Topics

• Fungal biology, genetics, and adaptation: Molecular, cellular, biochemical, genetic, genomic, and systems-level mechanisms underlying fungal physiology, metabolism, signaling, stress responses, cell-wall and membrane biology, gene regulation, genetic diversity and genome plasticity. This includes morphogenesis, differentiation, dimorphism, sporulation, developmental programs, and other adaptive processes that influence fungal fitness, survival, and pathogenicity in the host.
• Fungal pathogenesis, virulence, and colonization: Molecular and cellular mechanisms by which medically important fungi colonize, invade, damage, persist within, or disseminate through the host; fungal virulence determinants; commensal-to-pathogen transitions; adhesion, quorum sensing, and single-species biofilm formation; and fungal adaptation to host-associated niches.
• Fungal-host interactions and immunity: Mechanistic studies of reciprocal interactions between fungal pathogens and host cells or tissues, including host-cell recognition and interaction, innate and adaptive immune responses, fungal hypersensitivity, fungal manipulation or evasion of host processes, tissue invasion and damage, persistence, immunopathology, and disease outcome. This includes host genetic, cellular, and physiological determinants of susceptibility or resistance to fungal infection.
• Models of fungal infection and disease: Development or application of experimental models that provide mechanistic insight into fungal colonization, infection, dissemination, persistence, fungus-host interactions, immune responses, or medical mycoses.
• Biomarkers, diagnostics and therapeutic targets: Identification and mechanistic validation of fungal biomarkers, antigens, virulence factors, and pathogen-specific processes that provide the biological foundation for development of diagnostics. Identification and mechanistic characterization of fungal pathways or molecules with potential as therapeutic targets.

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests with Anti-Infective Resistance and Targets (AIRT) in antifungal resistance and therapeutic targets. Applications in which the major emphasis is on mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance, emergence or spread of resistance, or characterization of anti-infective targets specifically in the context of resistance may be reviewed in AIRT. Applications investigating resistance, tolerance, persistence, or potential therapeutic targets primarily to elucidate fundamental fungal physiology, adaptation, fitness, or pathogenesis may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Clinical Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumors (CNBT) in fungal infections of the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems. Applications emphasizing neuroimmune modulation, neuroinflammation, immune-mediated injury, or the neurological consequences of fungal infection may be reviewed in CNBT. Applications emphasizing fungal biology, physiology, genetics, virulence, pathogenesis, or fungus-host interactions, including fungal mechanisms of CNS invasion, dissemination, persistence, or immune evasion in which the fungal pathogen is the major mechanistic focus, may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Digestive System Host Defense, Microbial Interactions and Immune and Inflammatory Diseases (DHMI) in fungal-host interactions, and mycobiota involving the gastrointestinal tract. Applications emphasizing GI mucosal immunity, epithelial barrier function, gut physiology, inflammatory processes, or the effects of microbial communities on digestive-system function and pathology may be reviewed in DHMI. Applications emphasizing the biology, physiology, genetics, virulence, adaptation, or pathogenesis of medically important fungi, including fungal mechanisms of GI colonization, persistence, invasion, dissemination, or fungus-host interactions in which the fungal pathogen is a major mechanistic focus, may be reviewed in IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology A (DMPA) in antifungal therapeutics. Applications emphasizing discovery, screening, characterization, or development of new antifungal agents and their therapeutic potential may be reviewed in DMPA. Applications emphasizing fundamental fungal biology or pathogenesis, including identification and initial mechanistic validation of fungal processes that may constitute therapeutic targets, or the use of established compounds as experimental probes of fungal biology, may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Early Development of Vaccines Against Infectious Diseases [DCAI (89)] and Vaccines Against Infectious Diseases (VID) in vaccines against medically important fungi. Applications emphasizing early- to mid-stage vaccine development, including vaccine antigen selection, vaccine platforms or vectors, adjuvant development, and characterization of vaccine-induced immune responses, may be reviewed in DCAI (89); applications emphasizing late-stage vaccine development, including vaccine efficacy, safety, optimization, or improvement of existing vaccines, may be reviewed in VID. Applications emphasizing fundamental fungal biology, virulence, pathogenesis, or fungus-host interactions, including the identification and mechanistic characterization of fungal antigens or virulence determinants that provide the biological basis for potential vaccine development, may be reviewed in IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Etiology, Diagnostic, Intervention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases (EDIT) in fungal diagnostics, human infectious disease, and interventions. Applications emphasizing translational or applied studies, large-scale human studies, clinical or field evaluation of diagnostics or treatments, surveillance, or population-level characterization of fungal disease may be reviewed in EDIT. Applications emphasizing mechanistic studies of fungal pathogenesis, fungal-host interactions, or the biological basis and initial development of fungal diagnostic or intervention targets may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Genetic Variation and Evolution (GVE) in fungal genetic diversity, adaptation, population structure, and host-pathogen evolution. Applications emphasizing evolutionary processes, population genetics, coevolution, comparative genomic variation, or computational and genomic analyses directed principally toward understanding evolutionary mechanisms may be reviewed in GVE. Applications emphasizing fungal genetic variation as a means to define molecular mechanisms of fungal physiology, virulence, host adaptation, or pathogenesis may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with HIV Coinfections and HIV Associated Cancers (HCAC) in opportunistic fungal infections associated with HIV/AIDS. Applications in which HIV infection, HIV-associated immune dysfunction, or the interaction between HIV and an opportunistic fungal infection is a central scientific component may be reviewed in HCAC. Applications focused primarily on biology, physiology, virulence, fungus-host interactions, or immunity of a medically important fungal pathogen—including fungi that commonly cause disease in people with HIV—without a central mechanistic dependence on HIV/AIDS may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Immunity and Host Defense (IHD) in innate and adaptive immunity to fungal infection. Applications in which the primary scientific question concerns fundamental mechanisms of host innate or adaptive immunity, with a fungal pathogen serving principally as the immune stimulus or infection model, may be reviewed in IHD. Applications emphasizing fungal determinants of immune recognition or evasion, reciprocal fungus-host interactions, fungal pathogenesis, or how fungal biology shapes host response and disease outcome may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with CSR panels focused on fundamental innate and adaptive immunology (IIA, IIB, AI, MSI) . Applications emphasizing the intrinsic biology, signaling, differentiation, antigen processing, or effector functions of immune cells, with fungal infection serving primarily as an experimental context, may be reviewed in the appropriate immunology-focused study section. Applications in which those immune processes are investigated as components of the mechanistic interaction between a medically important fungus and its host, with substantial emphasis on fungal pathogenesis or fungal determinants of disease, may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Interspecies Microbial Interactions and Infections (IMII) in fungal biofilms, microbiomes/mycobiomes, microbial communities, and polymicrobial infections. Applications focused on the biology, genetics, physiology, virulence, or pathogenesis of a fungal species, including single-species fungal biofilms, may be reviewed in the IIDA (82). Applications concerning fungus-bacterium, fungus-virus, fungus-parasite, or other interspecies interactions; polymicrobial infection; or the structure, dynamics, or function of microbiome/mycobiome communities may be reviewed in IMII.

There are shared interests with Lung Immunology and Infection (LII) in fungal infections of the respiratory tract and fungal-host interactions in the lung. Applications emphasizing pulmonary immune responses, inflammation, pathology, remodeling, or functional consequences of fungal infection may be reviewed in LII. Applications emphasizing fungal biology, physiology, genetics, virulence, adaptation, or mechanisms of colonization, invasion, persistence, dissemination, and pathogenesis, including fungus-host interactions in which the fungal pathogen is a major mechanistic focus in the context of lung infection, may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Oral, Dental and Craniofacial Sciences (ODCS) in fungal infections, fungal-host interactions, and mycobiota of the oral cavity. Applications emphasizing oral microbiology or immunology, oral mucosal biology, inflammation, or the contribution of fungal organisms and microbial communities to oral and dental health and disease may be reviewed in ODCS. Applications emphasizing the biology, physiology, genetics, virulence, adaptation, or pathogenesis of medically important fungi, including fungal mechanisms of oral colonization, persistence, invasion, dissemination, or fungus-host interactions in which the fungal pathogen is a major mechanistic focus, may be reviewed in IIDA (82).

There are shared interests with Skin and Connective Tissue Sciences (SCTS) in fungal infections and fungal-host interactions involving the skin and its appendages. Applications emphasizing skin biology, barrier function, cutaneous physiology or pathophysiology, tissue injury and repair, or the pathological consequences of immune responses to fungal infection may be reviewed in SCTS. Applications emphasizing fungal biology, physiology, genetics, virulence, adaptation, or mechanisms of colonization, invasion, persistence, tissue damage, and pathogenesis, including fungus-host interactions in which the fungal pathogen is a major mechanistic focus, may be reviewed in the IIDA (82).