Fungal infections kill around 2 million people every year. That amounts to more than are killed by malaria, or breast cancer, and almost as many as those claimed by HIV or tuberculosis.
Of all microbial pathogens of humans, fungi are the least well studied and understood. The cost of diagnosing and treating fungal infections also has major economic impact.
The MRC Centre for Medical Mycology is a joint investment by the MRC and the University of Exeter. Established in Exeter in 2020, it represents one of the most ambitious strategic investments in medical mycology worldwide. It enables researchers to advance the understanding and practice in critical areas of bioscience, promoting pioneering cross-disciplinary research that covers areas of scientific, translational and clinical importance.
The Centre is actively working to increase capacity in medical mycology, particularly in those parts of the world which suffer high burdens of fungal disease. It has developed units in Africa, at the University of Cape Town, and South America, at the University of São Paulo. These international units facilitate collaboration with colleagues across the globe, tackling fungal diseases endemic to the geographical regions in which they are located and bringing together interdisciplinary research.
The Centre has recently been awarded a further £3.2M by the MRC for the development of new treatments for fungal diseases in the battle against global drug resistance.
It is also working in partnership with the UK Government’s Department for Health and Social Care Global AMR Innovation Fund to deliver a £3.4M fund called FAILSAFE (Fungal AMR Innovations for LMICS: Solutions and Access For Everyone) to support researchers working on solutions for antifungal resistance.