Dectin-1: A role in antifungal defense and consequences of genetic polymorphisms in humans

Abstract

The clinical relevance of fungal infections has increased dramatically in recent decades as a consequence of the rise of immunocompromised populations, and efforts to understand the underlying mechanisms of protective immunity have attracted renewed interest. Here we review Dectin-1, a pattern recognition receptor involved in antifungal immunity, and discuss recent discoveries of polymorphisms in the gene encoding this receptor which result in human disease. © 2010 The Author(s).