Grant: Operating Grant

Humans are continuously exposed to many fungi that can potentially cause disease or allergic reactions. With the exception of minor infections, such as athlete's foot, most healthy people are generally able to fight off fungal diseases. However, people with defective immune systems due to AIDS or medical treatments are often highly susceptible to fungal diseases. One of these diseases is caused by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans and this pathogen is estimated to kill over 600,000 people every year. These people almost always have AIDS or some other problem with their immune system that causes susceptibility to the disease. Cryptococcus neoformans enters humans through inhalation into the lungs and the fungus can rapidly travel through the bloodstream to the brain to cause meningitis. Our project will examine specific functions that fungi use to grow in humans and cause disease. In particular, we will examine how Cryptococcus neoformans responds to the conditions inside the human body to build a sugar coat that protects it from our immune defenses. The information that is obtained in this research will be used to develop new therapies to treat fungal diseases.