Abstract

Complement is the central host defense system that clears invading microbes and balances homeostasis. Pathogenic microbes such as Candida albicans have to breach this efficient and important immune defense layer in order to propagate within the host and to establish an infection. Knowing exactly how the activated complement cascade responds to and attacks microbial invaders is central to understanding the immune battle and the infection process. This also allows a better understanding of how Candida counteracts the individual steps of host innate immunity. Ultimately this knowledge will allow the design of appropriate therapeutic molecules. In this issue Cheng et al. [Eur. J. Immunol. 2012. 42: 993-1004] identify a new cellular effect of the activated human complement system in the defense against the fungal pathogen C. albicans. The authors show that the complement activation fragment C5a, which is formed in response to Candida infection, induces the cellular release of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1β.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Zipfel PF, Skerka C

Institution

Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Department of Infection Biology, Beutenbergstrasse, Jena, Germany. peter.zipfel@hki-jena.de

Source

European journal of immunology 42:4 2012 Apr pg 822-5

MeSH

Candida albicans
Candidiasis
Complement Activation
Complement System Proteins
Humans
Interleukin-1beta
Interleukin-6
Monocytes

Pub Type(s)

Comment
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22531909