Immune cells may unintentionally protect Candida albicans from defense

Researchers from the Universities of Würzburg and Jena, along with the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, have discovered that certain components of the immune system may unintentionally protect the yeast fungus Candida albicans from being neutralized.

In a study published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, scientists observed that while neutrophils—white blood cells responsible for engulfing and neutralizing pathogens—are present, a small portion of Candida albicans cells remain free in the bloodstream. The team discovered that these surviving fungal cells carry proteins on their surface that originated from the neutrophils themselves.

These proteins are linked to extracellular vesicles, which are tiny, membrane-enclosed packages released by immune cells into their environment. This mechanism appears to allow the fungus to evade the body's natural defenses, posing a particular risk to individuals with weakened immune systems when the fungus spreads through the bloodstream.