Really pleased to share our new paper on Candida albicans infection (journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...) where we show that Candida species are able to disable a critical defence used by neutrophils in zebrafish and human. Thanks and congrats to all the co-authors for a real team effort!
journals.asm.org
Candida spp. suppress neutrophil reactive nitrogen species to evade killing | mBio
Candida albicans is a fungus that normally lives harmlessly in the human body but can cause life-threatening infections in people with weakened immune systems. A key part of the body’s defense against this fungus is neutrophils, immune cells that kill microbes using toxic molecules. However, how Candida avoids neutrophil defense is not well understood. Here, we used zebrafish and human immune cells to show that Candida suppresses an important neutrophil defense, reactive nitrogen species (RNS), during infection. Unlike bacteria, which trigger RNS, Candida reduces these protective molecules to below normal levels, helping its survival. This effect was also observed with other disease-causing Candida species. We went on to show that both the host and Candida contribute to this suppression. Importantly, boosting the neutrophil response improved survival and helped clear infection, especially when combined with standard antifungal drugs. These findings suggest new ways to support the immune system alongside existing treatments.