Pathogenicity determinants of Candida albicans : potential targets for immunotherapy ?

• Published in: Microbiology (Society for General Microbiology) Vol. 140; no. 7; pp. 1505 - 1511
• Main Author: MATTHEWS, R. C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Society for General Microbiology 01-07-1994
• Subjects: Antibodies, Fungal - therapeutic use; Antifungal Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - genetics; Candida albicans - pathogenicity; Candidiasis - drug therapy; Candidiasis - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Immunotherapy; Microbiology; Mycology; Pathogenicity, host-agent relations, miscellaneous strains, epidemiology; Virulence; Candida albicans; Yeast; Genetic variability; Enzyme; Review; Adhesion; Fungi; Pathogenicity; Immunotherapy; Infectivity; Heat shock protein; Phenotype variation; Hydrolases; Adhesin; Fungi Imperfecti; Proteinases; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/13500872-140-7-1505

There are two synergistic approaches to the development of a new generation of antifungal agents. The first involves a better understanding of the pathogenesis of these infections to identify potential targets. The second involves harnessing intrinsic host defence mechanisms against this opportunistic pathogen, which may be a means of selectively inhibiting candidal cells while avoiding damage to host cells. Both approaches will now be discussed, with particular reference to heat-shock proteins as a potential target and human recombinant antibodies as a therapeutic agent.