Dendritic cell-based immunization ameliorates pulmonary infection with highly virulent Cryptococcus gattii.

ABSTRACT: Cryptococcosis due to a highly virulent fungus, Cryptococcus gattii, emerged as an infectious disease on Vancouver Island in Canada and surrounding areas in 1999, causing deaths among immunocompetent individuals. Previous studies indicated that C. gattii strain R265 isolated from the Canadian outbreak had immune avoidance or immune suppression capabilities. However, protective immunity against C. gattii has not been identified. In this study, we used a gain-of-function approach to investigate the protective immunity against C. gattii infection using a dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccine. Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) efficiently engulfed acapsular C. gattii (Δcap60 strain), which resulted in their expression of costimulatory molecules and inflammatory cytokines. This was not ob

SUBMITTER: Ueno K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4363414 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature