Cryptococcus gattii polysaccharide capsule: An insight on fungal-host interactions and vaccine studies

Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii complexes are the main causative agents of cryptococcosis, a neglected disease with high lethality. The capsule, composed predominantly of the capsular polysaccharide (CP) GXM, is the main virulence factor of this pathogen. The role of CP is well described for C. neoformans and; however, there is a scarcity of studies focused on C. gattii, especially in the context of the fungal-host interaction. Understanding how the immune system recognizes C. gattii can generate meaningful information for diagnosing, preventing, and treating cryptococcosis. In the current issue of the European Journal of Immunology [Eur. J. Immunol. 2021. 51: 2281-2295], Ueno et al. demonstrate that CP inhibits C. gattii recognition by CD11b. In this commentary, we highlight the importance of deeply understanding the role of C. gattii CP during infection and how this knowledge would influence the strategies to develop new vaccines against cryptococcosis.