How Chemotherapy Increases the Risk of Systemic Candidiasis in Cancer Patients: Current Paradigm and Future Directions
Candida albicans is a fungal commensal and a major colonizer of the human skin, as well as of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. It is also one of the leading causes of opportunistic microbial infections in cancer patients, often presenting in a life-threatening, systemic form. Increased...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/5/1/6 |
| _version_ | 1798034127546482688 |
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| author | Flora Teoh Norman Pavelka |
| author_facet | Flora Teoh Norman Pavelka |
| author_sort | Flora Teoh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Candida albicans is a fungal commensal and a major colonizer of the human skin, as well as of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. It is also one of the leading causes of opportunistic microbial infections in cancer patients, often presenting in a life-threatening, systemic form. Increased susceptibility to such infections in cancer patients is attributed primarily to chemotherapy-induced depression of innate immune cells and weakened epithelial barriers, which are the body’s first-line defenses against fungal infections. Moreover, classical chemotherapeutic agents also have a detrimental effect on components of the adaptive immune system, which further play important roles in the antifungal response. In this review, we discuss the current paradigm regarding the mechanisms behind the increased risk of systemic candidiasis in cancer patients. We also highlight some recent findings, which suggest that chemotherapy may have more extensive effects beyond the human host, in particular towards C. albicans itself and the bacterial microbiota. The extent to which these additional effects contribute towards the development of candidiasis in chemotherapy-treated patients remains to be investigated. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:39:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-884dd6ece1c1499fa7a3eaa334e1b50f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:39:57Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-884dd6ece1c1499fa7a3eaa334e1b50f2022-12-22T04:04:14ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172016-01-0151610.3390/pathogens5010006pathogens5010006How Chemotherapy Increases the Risk of Systemic Candidiasis in Cancer Patients: Current Paradigm and Future DirectionsFlora Teoh0Norman Pavelka1Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos Building, Singapore 138648, SingaporeSingapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos Building, Singapore 138648, SingaporeCandida albicans is a fungal commensal and a major colonizer of the human skin, as well as of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. It is also one of the leading causes of opportunistic microbial infections in cancer patients, often presenting in a life-threatening, systemic form. Increased susceptibility to such infections in cancer patients is attributed primarily to chemotherapy-induced depression of innate immune cells and weakened epithelial barriers, which are the body’s first-line defenses against fungal infections. Moreover, classical chemotherapeutic agents also have a detrimental effect on components of the adaptive immune system, which further play important roles in the antifungal response. In this review, we discuss the current paradigm regarding the mechanisms behind the increased risk of systemic candidiasis in cancer patients. We also highlight some recent findings, which suggest that chemotherapy may have more extensive effects beyond the human host, in particular towards C. albicans itself and the bacterial microbiota. The extent to which these additional effects contribute towards the development of candidiasis in chemotherapy-treated patients remains to be investigated.http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/5/1/6chemotherapycancerCandida albicansimmune systemmicrobiota |
| spellingShingle | Flora Teoh Norman Pavelka How Chemotherapy Increases the Risk of Systemic Candidiasis in Cancer Patients: Current Paradigm and Future Directions Pathogens chemotherapy cancer Candida albicans immune system microbiota |
| title | How Chemotherapy Increases the Risk of Systemic Candidiasis in Cancer Patients: Current Paradigm and Future Directions |
| title_full | How Chemotherapy Increases the Risk of Systemic Candidiasis in Cancer Patients: Current Paradigm and Future Directions |
| title_fullStr | How Chemotherapy Increases the Risk of Systemic Candidiasis in Cancer Patients: Current Paradigm and Future Directions |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Chemotherapy Increases the Risk of Systemic Candidiasis in Cancer Patients: Current Paradigm and Future Directions |
| title_short | How Chemotherapy Increases the Risk of Systemic Candidiasis in Cancer Patients: Current Paradigm and Future Directions |
| title_sort | how chemotherapy increases the risk of systemic candidiasis in cancer patients current paradigm and future directions |
| topic | chemotherapy cancer Candida albicans immune system microbiota |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/5/1/6 |
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