Host-pathogen interactions between the human innate immune system and Candida albicans - Understanding and modeling defense and evasion strategies

• Main Authors: Sybille eDühring, Sebastian eGermerodt, Christine eSkerka, Peter F. Zipfel, Thomas eDandekar, Stefan eSchuster
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-06-01
• Series: Frontiers in Microbiology
• Subjects: Candida albicans; host-pathogen interaction; Computational systems biology; human immune system; immunological cross-talk; defense and evasion strategies
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00625/full

The diploid, polymorphic yeast Candida albicans is one of the most important humanpathogenic fungi. C. albicans can grow, proliferate and coexist as a commensal on or within thehuman host for a long time. Alterations in the host environment, however, can render C. albicansvirulent. In this review, we describe the immunological cross-talk between C. albicans and thehuman innate immune system. We give an overview in form of pairs of human defense strategiesincluding immunological mechanisms as well as general stressors such as nutrient limitation,pH, fever etc. and the corresponding fungal response and evasion mechanisms. FurthermoreComputational Systems Biology approaches to model and investigate these complex interactionare highlighted with a special focus on game-theoretical methods and agent-based models. Anoutlook on interesting questions to be tackled by Systems Biology regarding entangled defenseand evasion mechanisms is given.