Advances in immunology and pathogenesis of dermatophytic infections: towards translational therapeutics

Dermatophytes are the most common fungal pathogens responsible for superficial infections of the skin, hair, and nails, affecting hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. The increasing prevalence of chronic, recurrent, and antifungal-resistant dermatophytosis has emerged as a significant public health concern and underscores important gaps in our understanding of host immunity and fungal pathogenesis. Recent advances in cutaneous immunology, fungal genomics, microbiome research, and immune signaling have revealed complex interactions between dermatophytes and the host immune system, including innate and adaptive immune responses, cytokine-mediated regulation, and fungal immune-evasion strategies. Despite these advances, fundamental questions remain regarding species-specific host–pathogen interactions and the immunological mechanisms underlying susceptibility, persistence, recurrence, and treatment failure. Addressing these challenges is critical for developing improved diagnostic tools, biomarkers, and effective immunomodulatory and antifungal therapeutic strategies.The goal of the present research topic is to provide a multidisciplinary platform that brings together recent advances in the immunology and pathogenesis of dermatophytic infections while fostering the translation of these discoveries into clinical practice. We aim to highlight emerging insights into host immune responses, fungal adaptation, immune evasion, and pathogen diversity across clinically relevant dermatophyte species. By integrating basic, translational, and clinical research, this collection seeks to address current knowledge gaps, promote interdisciplinary collaboration among immunologists, dermatologists, microbiologists, infectious disease specialists, and medical mycologists, and stimulate the development of innovative diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic approaches. Ultimately, this research topic will contribute to a deeper understanding of host–fungal interactions and support evidence-based strategies to improve the prevention and management of dermatophytic infections, particularly in the face of increasing antifungal resistance and the growing global burden of disease.This Research Topic welcomes original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and clinical studies that advance our understanding of the immunology and pathogenesis of dermatophytic infections. We particularly encourage contributions addressing:• Innate and adaptive immune responses to dermatophyte infections• Host–pathogen interactions, fungal virulence, and immune-evasion mechanisms• Cytokine signaling, epithelial barrier immunity, and skin microbiome–fungus interactions• Immunological mechanisms underlying chronic, recurrent, and antifungal-resistant dermatophytosis• Comparative immunobiology of clinically important dermatophyte species• Novel biomarkers, immunodiagnostics, vaccines, host-directed therapies, and translational antifungal strategies Topic editors: Ashutosh Singh, Ananta Khurana, Alida Fe Talento Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85125/advances-in-immunology-and-pathogenesis-of-dermatophytic-infections-towards-translational-therapeutics