Complement evasion of C. albicans

The human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans shields its surface from the immune attack of the human host and protects itself from the destructive action of the activated immune system. Candida expresses specific surface proteins which mimic host surface structures and which bind specific soluble human immune and complement regulators from human plasma. With this surface modification Candida uses a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ approach – this means the fungal pathogen Candida is invisible for the host immune system. In consequence, the fungus can control, modulate, block and inhibit host immune reactions. Thereby, the human pathogen can propagate in the immunocompetent host and cause an infection.