Caspofungin enhances antifungal immunity in human blood through transcriptional reprogramming.

ABSTRACT: Candida albicans is a leading cause of invasive candidiasis, a life-threatening infection with high mortality despite antifungal therapy. Echinocandins are first-line agents due to their fungicidal activity and low toxicity profile. Beyond direct killing, they may also modulate host immunity, e.g. through fungal cell wall remodeling. However, the systemic impact of echinocandins on human immune cells remains incompletely understood, particularly in the context of drug resistance. Using an ex vivo human whole-blood infection model, we assessed the effects of caspofungin during infection with echinocandin-susceptible (ECH^S/FKS^wt) and echinocandin-resistant (ECH^R/FKS^mut) C. albicans strains. Infection alone triggered a strong an

SUBMITTER: Shehata A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12906344 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature