ArtinM offers new perspectives in the development of antifungal therapy

The thermally dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the most frequent systemic mycosis that affects the rural populations in Latin America. Despite significant developments in antifungal chemotherapy, its efficacy remains limited since...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFrontiers in microbiology Vol. 3; p. 218
Main Authors Ruas, Luciana P, Carvalho, Fernanda C, Roque-Barreira, Maria-Cristina
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland Frontiers Research Foundation 01.01.2012
Frontiers Media S.A
Subjects
ArtinM
Immunomodulation
Microbiology
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
plant lectin
immunomodulation
ArtinM
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
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Summary:The thermally dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the most frequent systemic mycosis that affects the rural populations in Latin America. Despite significant developments in antifungal chemotherapy, its efficacy remains limited since drug therapy is prolonged and associated with toxic side effects and relapses. In response to these challenges, it is now recognized that several aspects of antifungal immunity can be modulated to better deal with fungal infections. A common idea for halting fungal infections has been the need to activate a cell-based, pro-inflammatory Th1 immune response to improve the fungal elimination. ArtinM, a D-mannose binding lectin from Artocarpus heterophyllus, has the property of modulating immunity against several intracellular pathogens. Here, we review the immunomodulatory activity of ArtinM during experimental PCM in mice. Both prophylactic and therapeutic protocols of ArtinM administration promotes a Th1 immune response balanced by IL-10, which outstandingly reduces the fungal load in organs of the treated mice while maintaining a controlled inflammation at the site of infection. A carbohydrate recognition-based interaction of ArtinM with Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) accounts for initiating the immunomodulatory effect of the lectin. The precise identification of the TLR2 N-glycan(s) targeted by ArtinM may support novel basis for the development of antifungal therapy.
Bibliography:Reviewed by: Alfredo Goes, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil Vera Lucia Garcia Calich, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Edited by: Carlos Pelleschi Taborda, University of São Paulo, Brazil
This article was submitted to Frontiers in Fungi and Their Interactions, a specialty of Frontiers in Microbiology.
ISSN:1664-302X
1664-302X
DOI:10.3389/fmicb.2012.00218