Renata Proença da Silva
Universidade de Sorocaba, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brasil
Rodrigo Hidalgo Friciello Teixeira
Universidade de Sorocaba, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brasil. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Animais Selvagens da Universidade Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP - Botucatu), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brasil
Yoko Oshima Franco
Universidade de Sorocaba, Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brasil. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas da Universidade de Sorocaba (UNISO – Sorocaba, São Paulo)
ABSTRACT
Antifungal resistance poses a growing threat to global public health, especially given the increase in invasive fungal infections and the limited number of effective therapeutic options. Despite its importance, this topic still receives less attention when compared to bacterial resistance. This review was developed with the aim of gathering and discussing the five main challenges related to antifungal resistance. The review was conducted through an analysis of scientific articles published between 2014 and 2025, based on the PubMed, Scielo, and Google Scholar platforms. The search terms “antifungal resistance,” “resistance mechanisms,” “pathogenic fungi,” and “antifungal treatment” were used. The selection of articles considered the relevance of the content addressed, with an emphasis on molecular mechanisms of resistance, clinical implications, the efficacy of available antifungals, and alternative therapeutic strategies. A total of 132 publications were analyzed, of which 60 were considered relevant and duly referenced. Given the growing incidence of resistant species and the scarcity of antifungal classes, investment in epidemiological surveillance, early diagnosis, and research into new therapeutic approaches is urgently needed. Expanding knowledge about resistance mechanisms is essential to address this emerging problem and improve clinical outcomes in severe fungal infections.
Keywords: Pathogenic Fungi, Fungal Infections, Invasive Mycoses, Emerging Antifungal Therapies.
