Scientists uncover how fungi ''blind'' immune system, offering new hope against superbugs

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have discovered that a fungus deadly to people with weakened immune systems can disable a critical defence used by neutrophils the bodys frontline infectionfighting white blood cellsAn estimated 40 to 60 per cent of healthy people carry Candida albicans harmlessly as part of the bodys normal microbial communityBut in people with weakened immune systems it can enter the bloodstream and trigger invasive candidiasis a condition with mortality rates approaching 50 per centThe research conducted using zebrafish models and human immune cells showed that restoring this suppressed immune response dramatically improved survival from infection particularly when combined with existing antifungal drugsThe findings from scientists at Sheffields Bateson Centre for Disease Mechanisms could lead to new therapies to tackle lifethreatening fungal infections and rising antifungal resistanceCandida was found to actively suppress production of reactive nitrogen species RNS toxic molecules normally used by neutrophils our most abundant white blood cells to kill invading microbesRemarkably the fungus reduced these protective molecules to levels below normal baseline activity effectively dampening the immune response during infectionThe study found similar immune suppression was observed in other clinically important fungal pathogens including the emerging multidrugresistant species Candida aurisThe World Health Organisation has designated Candida albicans and Candida auris as critical priority fungal pathogens because of increasing drug resistance and the lack of effective vaccines or treatmentsThe researchers found that the more effectively a fungal strain suppressed neutrophil RNS the more deadly the infection became in the animal model suggesting immune suppression is an important driver of fungal virulenceThe findings point towards the possibility of hostdirected therapies treatments that strengthen the patients own immune response rather than attacking the fungus directly Such approaches may become increasingly important as antifungal resistance rises worldwide and treatment options remain limitedDr Philip Elks Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffields School of Medicine and Population Health and CoDirector of the Bateson Centre for Disease Mechanisms said Candida infection can be lethal for patients with compromised immune systems and the global increase in antifungal resistance along with limited treatment options is of immense concernAlthough in its early stages our findings indicate we could help patients fight off fungal infections by strengthening their immune systems protecting vulnerable people from the deadly outcomes of fungal infectionsFuture work will now focus on identifying precisely how Candida disables neutrophil function and whether RNS targeting therapies could eventually be translated into clinical use alongside conventional antifungal drugsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice