Commentary: Experimental Mouse Models of Invasive Candidiasis Caused by Candida auris and Other Medically Important Candida Species

Abstract

Disseminated candidiasis is the leading cause of lifethreatening fungal infections in humans. This is especially the case in immunocompromised individuals, and in hospitalized patients including intensive care unit patients. Despite the availability of modern antifungal therapy, unacceptably high mortality remained same in the last decade [1][2][3][4]. The infection is caused by multiple species of the fungal genus Candida with C. albicans being the most common, together with C. tropicalis, C. glabrata and C. parapsilosis, causing >95% disseminated candidiasis in humans. Of particular concern, the so called "superbug" C. auris is a multidrug resistant (MDR), health careassociated super spreading fungal pathogen, and has recently emerged as the first fungal pathogen to cause a global public health threat [5].A/J mice are naturally deficient in complement protein C5 and its cleaved product C5a, anaphylatoxin and a pro-inflammatory chemoattractant important for anti-Candida protection [6][7][8]. This renders A/J mice highly susceptible to C. auris disseminated infection without the need for immunosuppressive drugs [9]. Using this invasive candidiasis model, we recently reported three mAbs that provided significant protection against C. auris systemic infection as evidenced by prolonged survival and significantly reduced fungal burdens in the targeted organs as compared to control mice [10]. Overall, our prior studies demonstrate the efficacy of passive transfer with protective mAbs as a novel therapeutics against MDR C. auris. Singh et al. also reported that NDV-3A vaccination protected immunosuppressed ICR mice, rendered neutropenic by a combined treatment of cyclophosphamide and cortisone acetate, from lethal C. auris disseminated infection [11]. To fight C. auris invasive infections, there is an urgent demand to test new therapy methods, drugs, and tools. Recently, therapies focused on the synergism

Liposomal Fba and Met6 peptide vaccination protects mice from disseminated candidiasis

“…We additionally validated the peptide-SNAP vaccine in highly susceptible A/J mice, which exhibit different MHC haplotypes. Notably, we established a susceptible A/J mouse model (C5 deficiency) for systemic C. auris infection ( 31 , 32 ). Employing the same I.M.…”

Comprehensive Overview of Candida auris: An Emerging Multidrug-Resistant Fungal Pathogen

“…In contrast to Candida albicans , which typically colonizes the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts of healthy individuals, C. auris is primarily known to colonize the skin [ 9 ]. However, there have been rare instances where it has been isolated from the gastrointestinal tract, oral cavity, and esophageal mucosa of infected individuals [ 10 ] ( Fig. 1 ).…”