Host resistance and protection against oral candidasis

白色念珠菌是一种重要的机会性病原体，在一般医学和牙科实践以及医院环境中广泛存在。临床观察表明，先天免疫缺陷使患者易患播散性感染，而细胞介导的免疫反应减弱通常与慢性口腔感染有关。慢性和急性口腔念珠菌病的动物模型已经被开发出来，并由申请人确定特征，这些清楚地表明T细胞参与了从原发性感染恢复的过程。这些模型现在将用于分析导致口腔中酵母菌清除的效应机制，特别关注吞噬细胞的作用，以及它们与T细胞的相互作用。急性模型将用于确定可作为保护标记的免疫变量，而治疗手法的有效性将在慢性模型中进行评估，最终目标是开发针对人类感染的保护性疫苗。

Candida albicans is an important opportunistic pathogen, that is widely represented in general medical and dental practice, as well as in the hospital environment. Clinical observations indicate that defects in innate immunity predispose patients to disseminated infection, whereas a weakened cell-mediated immune response is commonly associated with chronic oral infections. Animal models of both chronic and acute oral candidiasis have been developed and characterised by the applicants, and these have clearly implicated T cells in the process of recovery from primary infection. The models will now be used to analyse the effector mechanisms that lead to clearance of the yeast from the oral cavity, with a particular focus on the role of phagocytic cells, and their interaction with T cells. The acute model will be used to identify immunological variables that can act as markers of protection, and the effectiveness of therapeutic manipulations will be evaluated in the chronic model, with the ultimate aim of developing a protective vaccine for human infections.