Innate immunity against moulds: lessons learned from invertebrate models

Area of Science:

• * Immunology
• * Mycology
• * Infectious Diseases

Background:

• * Invasive fungal infections (mycoses) pose a significant threat to immunocompromised individuals.
• * Traditional mammalian models for studying fungal infections are complex and costly, hindering research progress.
• * Understanding innate immunity against filamentous fungi is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To highlight the utility of invertebrate model hosts for studying host-pathogen interactions in invasive fungal infections.
• * To validate the use of invertebrates as facile models for investigating antifungal immunity.

Main Methods:

• * Leveraging invertebrate model hosts (e.g., insects) due to their simple immune systems and genetic tractability.
• * Conducting high-throughput experiments to study host-pathogen interactions.
• * Validating the conservation of innate immune defenses and fungal virulence factors across taxa.

Main Results:

• * Demonstrated that invertebrate models are suitable for studying invasive mould infections.
• * Showcased the conserved nature of innate immune responses and fungal virulence factors between invertebrates and mammals.
• * Facilitated the study of key components of innate immunity, including pattern recognition receptors, phagocytic cells, and antimicrobial proteins.

Conclusions:

• * Invertebrate models provide a powerful and accessible platform for advancing research on invasive mycoses.
• * These models have significantly contributed to understanding human innate immune responses against filamentous fungi.
• * Further application of invertebrate models promises to accelerate the development of novel antifungal strategies.