Antifungal Innate Immunity.

Abstract

Despite being common inhabitants of human barrier surfaces (skin, oral cavity, gut, lungs, vagina), diseases caused by fungi are rare owing to their surveillance by and sentinel function of human innate immune system. Whereas a compromised or suppressed immunity facilitates the establishment of fungal infections, the consequence of which ranges from superficial infections affecting life quality to life-threatening invasive fungal diseases. Over the last few decades, the number of people at risk for invasive fungal infections has increased due to immunosuppressive medical interventions. Also, there is an alarming increase in incidence of antifungal drug resistance, which demands alternative antifungal strategies. In vivo experimental studies have indicated that immunotherapies could be promising to combat fungal pathogens. Nevertheless, development of an effective clinical immunotherapy requires in-depth knowledge on pathobiology of fungi and the consequent host responses. Here is an overview of the defense mechanisms exerted by the human innate immune system against fungal pathogens, counteracting virulence mechanisms associated with these fungal pathogens and the innate immune system-based antifungal therapeutic strategies developed so far.