From confrontation to co-adaptation: the dynamic dialogue of Candida albicans and macrophages

SUMMARYCandida is a taxonomically fluid genus that includes several opportunistic pathogens, for which the clinical incidence has been increasing for decades. Though Candida now represents a lower proportion of cases than in the past, Candida albicans remains the most prevalent species in human infections, and disseminated candidiasis remains associated with an unacceptably high mortality rate in immunocompromised patients. Most individuals are protected by the innate immune system, of which phagocytes are a key mediator. The complex dynamic between C. albicans and macrophages has become an important model system for host-pathogen interactions in which both sides engage in intricate developmental programs to respond to the other. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of recognition and response with a focus on C. albicans, but including other Candida species, with an eye toward therapeutic interventions to improve patient outcomes.