Candida albicans is the most frequently isolated fungal pathogen of humans. It is a common pathogen that causes bloodstream infection in hospitals, with estimated mortality at 40%. Increased use of prophylactic antifungal drugs in high-risk patients accelerates the development of drug resistance. Alternative antifungal therapies are urgently needed. One promising approach to avoid anti-fungal resistance is to use immune-based therapies. Protective antibodies against C. albicans heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) or beta-mannan have been shown to be active against hematogenously disseminated candidiasis in experimental mice. In particular, a human genetically recombinant antibody against the Hsp90 is currently in a multinational trial in patients with disseminated candidiasis. To identify potential vaccines and protective antibodies, we propose to develop a C. albicans protein microarray to profile humoral responses in a large number of patients with invasive candidiasis.
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