Genes and candidiasis
British and Dutch scientists have identified two genetic mutations, the presence of which in humans exposes him to an increased risk of infection with fungal infections. These data allow us to take a fresh look at the development of such diseases and improve treatment methods.
The results of two independent studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine mark a new milestone in the development of ideas about genetic predisposition to fungal diseases, such as chronic skin candidiasis or vaginal candidiasis.
Scientists at University College London have chosen as the object of research a family whose members have suffered from severe, recurrent fungal infections for several generations, in some cases fatal. Using the DNA sequencing method, the researchers built genetic maps of family members and identified a repeated mutation of a gene called CARD9 in them. In turn, their colleagues from Radbod University in the Netherlands found that a mutation of another gene encoding the protein dectin-1 increases susceptibility to vaginal fungal infections, primarily candidiasis.
If the protein products of both genes work normally, dectin-1 detects the appearance of a fungus in the body and causes immune cells to send signals to CARD9, which activates the immune system's protective reaction against these microorganisms. If at least one of these genes has mutated or is absent altogether, the immune system has difficulty fighting Candida fungi and the danger of local or systemic spread of infection persists.
Similar studies have been conducted in other scientific centers of the world. German scientists in experiments on mice confirmed that the absence of the CARD9 gene makes animals more susceptible to fungal diseases, and their colleagues from the University of Aberdeen demonstrated the loss of the molecular mechanism for recognizing fungal infections in the case of mutation of the dectin-1 gene in mice.
The results obtained demonstrate that the protective mechanisms of humans and mice against fungal infections have not undergone major changes in the course of evolution, which cannot be said about the susceptibility to other microorganisms. "Although the mechanism of the body's immune response to fungal infections has already been studied in mice, the discovery of a similar phenomenon in humans is of genuine interest," admits Professor Mihai Netea, who led the research at Radbod University. It is possible that understanding the mechanisms of complex interaction between fungal organisms and the human immune system will allow in the future to develop alternative methods of treating candidiasis and other fungal infections.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Science Daily: Genetic Links To Fungal Infection Risk Identified02.11.2009