The Madhani Lab at UCSF
Innate Immunity and Fungal Pathogenesis
Most microbes are harmless, raising the question of why some are not. Compared to bacteria and viruses, we understand less about how eukaryotic pathogens cause disease. Fungal pathogens are a major growing clinical challenge, particularly in immune compromised populations. Cryptococcus neoformans is such a pathogen. This single species causes 15% of death in individuals with AIDS and over 200,000 deaths annually worldwide. It is an outstanding model pathogen in which both facile genetics and experimental infection systems are available. We have recently discovered a secreted effector that reprograms innate immunity to the pathogen’s advantage. We seek to understand this new mechanism of innate immune reprogramming and to define additional effectors and determinants of infection.