Yeast and filamentous Candida auris stimulate distinct immune responses in the skin

Abstract

Candida auris is a globally emerging fungal pathogen that transmits among individuals in hospitals and nursing home residents. Unlike other Candida species, C. auris predominantly colonizes and persists in skin tissue resulting in outbreaks of systemic infections. Understanding the factors that regulate C. auris skin colonization and host immune response is critical to develop novel preventive and therapeutic approaches against this emerging pathogen. We identified that yeast and filamentous forms of C. auris induce distinct skin immune responses in the skin. These findings may help explain the differential colonization and persistence of C. auris morphotypes in skin tissue. Understanding the skin immune responses induced by yeast and filamentous C. auris is important to develop novel vaccine strategies to combat this emerging fungal pathogen.