Human fungal pathogens: Why should we learn?

Human fungal pathogens that cause invasive infections are hidden killers, taking lives of one and a half million people every year. However, research progress in this field has not been rapid enough to effectively prevent or treat life-threatening fungal diseases. To update recent research progress and promote more active research in the field of human fungal pathogens, eleven review articles concerning the virulence mechanisms and host interactions of four major human fungal pathogens-Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Histoplasma capsulatum-are presented in this special issue.