This conservation could cause significant problems in drug development. Identification of mechanisms that are unique to the fungi will be important for drug development. Possible unique properties might be secretion through the cell wall, secretion of toxins, and unique fungal antigen processing. The study of endocytosis was considered to be at least as important as secretion for the development of antifungals. The isolation of endocytosis mutants in pathogenic fungi could therefore be an important approach.
Secretion is an area for which there is extensive research in both academic and industrial settings.
Communication between researchers in these areas is critical as well as communication between clinical and laboratory medical mycologists and between mycologists and genetic or molecular biologists.