Investigation of the virulence and immune response against Candida auris using alternative model Caenorhabditis elegans

• Grant number: 17/19095-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: March 01, 2018
• End date: July 16, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Arnaldo Lopes Colombo
• Grantee: Luana Rossato
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/02203-7 - Multidisciplinary and international network to characterize microbiological aspects and natural history of invasive fungal infections due Candida spp, AP.TEM

Abstract

Fungi are widely distributed around the world and many have the ability to colonize the skin and mucous membranes of the human host, transitioning from the colonizing agent to the infecting agent in dependence on standard changes in the host's immune response, as well as exposure to antibiotics, immunosuppressant, or invasive medical procedures. Candida spp. Is the most frequent etiologic agent of invasive fungal infections documented in hospitalized patients and may cause severe disseminated disease. Among the species of the genus Candida, we have Candida auris (C. auris) which is an emerging fungus that represents a serious threat to global health. It is a kind of Candida capable of causing invasive infection in patients not suffering from diseases associated with immunodepression, being observed in patients admitted to intensive care units and undergoing various invasive medical procedures. The problem is that although we have some well-established factors of virulence and immune response against Candida spp. There is few researches evaluating the participation of the same virulence attributes and immunological signaling pathways in the phenomenon of persistence of fungemia in the infection specifically by C. auris. For this evaluation we will use the alternative model of Caenorhabditis elegans, as well established nematode for these studies.

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

BASTOS, RAFAEL WESLEY; ROSSATO, LUANA; VALERO, CLARA; LAGROU, KATRIEN; COLOMBO, ARNALDO LOPES; GOLDMAN, GUSTAVO H.. Potential of Gallium as an Antifungal Agent. FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY, v. 9, DEC 11 2019. (16/07870-9, 17/02203-7, 17/19095-2)

BARRETO, THAYNA LOPES; ROSSATO, LUANA; DUARTE DE FREITAS, ALINE LUIZA; MEIS, JACQUES F.; LOPES, LUCIANA BIAGINI; COLOMBO, ARNALDO LOPES; ISHIDA, KELLY. Miltefosine as an alternative strategy in the treatment of the emerging fungus Candida auris. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS, v. 56, n. 2, AUG 2020. (17/19374-9, 18/13877-1, 18/03708-8, 17/15226-5, 17/02203-7, 17/19095-2)

LIMA, SORAIA LOPES; ROSSATO, LUANA; DE AZEVEDO MELO, ANALY SALLES. Evaluation of the potential virulence of Candida haemulonii species complex and Candida auris isolates in Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model and correlation to their biofilm production capacity. Microbial Pathogenesis, v. 148, NOV 2020. (17/19095-2, 17/19821-5)

ROSSATO, LUANA; COLOMBO, ARNALDO LOPES. Candida auris: What Have We Learned About Its Mechanisms of Pathogenicity?. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, v. 9, DEC 12 2018. (17/19095-2, 17/02203-7)

JOSÉ MARCOS SANCHES; PAULO CÉSAR GIRALDO; MARCELA GRIGOL BARDIN; ROSE AMARAL; MICHELLE GARCIA DISCACCIATI; LUANA ROSSATO. Aspectos laboratoriais da vaginose citolítica e candidíase vulvovaginal como uma chave para o diagnóstico preciso: Um estudo piloto. Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, v. 42, n. 10, p. 634-641, 2020-12-21. (17/19095-2)