Candida and macrophages: A deadly affair

The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is a significant cause of invasive disease in hospital patients. Treatmentsare inadequate resulting in high financial costs and mortality rates that approach 50%^1-5. Over the past decades,extensive use of immunosuppressive therapies and invasive medical procedures has exacerbated the problem⁶. Recent advances have shed light on the intimate relationship between Candida and innate immune cells, which triggers rapid fatal infections^7-10. In this review we focus on the dynamic interaction between C. albicans and macrophages, which act as front line defense against invading pathogens, and discuss a newly discovered deadly affair.