Cryptococcus: History, Epidemiology and Immune Evasion

• DOI: 10.3390/app12147086
• Publication Date: 2022-07-14T02:06:00Z
• Authors: Israel Diniz-Lima; Leonardo Marques ...; Elias Barbosa da ...; Joyce Cristina Gu...; Leonardo Freire-d...; Danielle Oliveira...; Alexandre Morrot; Jose Osvaldo Prev...; Lucia Mendonça-Pr...; Debora Decote-Ric...; Celio Geraldo Fre...
• Keywords: Cryptococcus gattii

Cryptococcosis is a disease caused by the pathogenic fungi Cryptococcus neoformans and gattii, both environmental that cause severe pneumonia may even lead to cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. Although C. affects more fragile individuals, such as immunocompromised hosts through opportunistic infections, gattii causes serious indiscriminate primary infection in immunocompetent individuals. Typically seen tropical subtropical environments, has increased its endemic area over recent years, largely due climatic factors favor contagion warmer climates. It important point out not only but species complex produces polysaccharidic capsule with immunomodulatory properties, enabling of Cryptococccus subvert host immune response during establishment cryptococcosis, facilitating dissemination infected organism. difficult-to-treat infection, few antifungals eliciting an effective chronic treatment. Much immunopathology this cryptococcosis still poorly understood, most studies focusing on neoformans. became epidemiological scenario outbreaks Pacific Northwest United States, which resulted phylogenetic virulent variant responsible for region. Since then, study helped researchers understand immunopathological aspects different variants pathogen.