Treatment of nail fungal infections

The European population is predicted to decrease in future.  At the same time, the population is predicted to age, i.e. the share of persons aged 65 years and older is projected to increase from 19 % (current level) to 27-33% by 2050. The immune system in older people is less competent than in younger adults. Consequently, older people are more susceptible to opportunistic infections such as pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, and fungal infections, among several others.

This project will focus on fungal nail infections (onychomycosis).  Aging has a profound effect on the incidence of onychomycosis, affecting 10% of the general population, 20% of people aged over 60 years and up to 50% of people aged over 70 years.  Such increase is due to the less competent immune system, as well as other factors such as diabetes, impaired blood circulation at the body’s periphery and slower nail growth, which predispose a person to onychomycosis and which also increase with aging.  Thus, it is expected the incidence of nail fungal infections in Europe to increase in future. By working in collaboration across countries and pooling our resources and expertise, we will be better placed to address the growing problem of onychomycosis in Europe.

Area

Pharmacy

UCL leads

• Dr Sudaxshina Mudan, UCL School of Pharmacy