What is a concern when using anti-fungal and anti-protozoan drugs?

The concern when using anti-fungal and anti-protozoan drugs lies in their potential to cause cross-over damage to human cells. This is an important issue because these medications are designed to target the processes of fungal and protozoan cells, which may share similarities with human cells. As a result, there is a risk that these drugs can also affect human cells, leading to unwanted side effects or toxicities.

For example, both fungi and humans have certain sterols in their cell membranes, but fungi contain ergosterol while humans have cholesterol. Antifungal drugs that target ergosterol may inadvertently affect human cells, leading to complications. Understanding this risk is crucial in clinical settings, as it influences the choice of treatment and the management of potential adverse effects.

The concern is not about their efficacy in humans, which is why they are used in treatment, and they indeed have specific targets. Additionally, while these drugs can have side effects, stating they have no side effects would not reflect the clinical realities. Lastly, these drugs are not effective against bacteria, since they target entirely different pathogens, which would make the choice concerning bacteria inaccurate in this context.