Antibodies to Combat Fungal Infections: Development Strategies and Progress

Abstract

The finding that some mAbs are antifungal suggests that antibody immunity may play a key role in the defense of the host against mycotic infections. The discovery of antibodies that guard against fungi is a significant advancement because it gives rise to the possibility of developing vaccinations that trigger protective antibody immunity. These vaccines might work by inducing antibody opsonins that improve the function of non-specific (such as neutrophils, macrophages, and NK cells) and specific (such as lymphocyte) cell-mediated immunity and stop or aid in eradicating fungus infections. The ability of antibodies to defend against fungi has been demonstrated by using monoclonal antibody technology to reconsider the function of antibody immunity. The next step is to develop vaccines that induce protective antibody immunity and to comprehend the mechanisms through which antibodies mediate protective effects against fungus.

Fungal Vaccine Development: State of the Art and Perspectives Using Immunoinformatics

“…Unfortunately, there are currently no therapeutic vaccines licensed against fungal infections for human or veterinary use. A variety of studies have shown the positive effect of antibody administration against fungal infection, alone or in combination with antifungal drugs [ 108 ]. One of the most known studies is on Efungumab (Mycograb ® ), a human genetically recombinant antibody that binds to Candida ’s HSP90, protecting against several Candida species and synergizing with antifungal drugs when evaluated in vitro and in preclinical studies [ 109 ].…”

Tracking inflammation resolution signatures in lungs after SARS-CoV-2 omicron BA.1 infection of K18-hACE2 mice

“…Elevated Th2 [10,[21][22][23] and Th17 responses [10,24] have been associated with poor outcomes, with Th1/Th2 [25][26][27] and Th1/Th17 imbalances [28] also reported to be detrimental. T regulatory cells (Tregs) are viewed as providing protection against the cytokine storm [29], whereas neutrophils promote the latter and contribute to disease severity [10]. Monocytes and macrophages play key protective roles against SARS-CoV-2 infection, but depending on their differentiation and activation state, are also important contributors to over-production of inflammatory cytokines [30,31].…”