Innate Immune Response to the Dimorphic Fungal Pathogen Coccidioides: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms

Abstract

Coccidioides spp is considered to be one of the most important fungal pathogen of humans. It is the causal agent of coccidioidomycosis, a systemic and endemic mycosis with a significant impact on public health, mainly in the United States, Central and South America. The host innate immune system appears to play an important role in the initial interaction and recognition of Coccidioides infection and the subsequent development of adaptive immunity. In this review article, I focus on the interaction between the innate immune response and Coccidioides in an attempt to increase our knowledge of the pathogenesis of this fungus.