Immune Reprogramming: A New Approach to Treating Candidiasis

Research published in the April 2026 edition of Cell Host & Microbe suggests that immune metabolic reprogramming may offer a new strategy for treating systemic candidiasis, moving beyond the development of traditional antifungal medications.

The study, led by Partha Biswas, DVM, PhD, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, focuses on the opportunistic fungal infection caused by the fungus Candida albicans.

Candida albicans can cause a wide range of infections, from superficial occurrences on the nails and skin to invasive infections that enter the bloodstream and various organs.

Challenges in Treating Systemic Candidiasis

The prevalence of systemic candidiasis has increased in recent decades. This rise is attributed to an increase in patients experiencing immunosuppression resulting from diseases or medical treatments, as well as prolonged exposure to antibiotics and specific health conditions, such as kidney disease.

Managing these infections has become increasingly difficult for medical professionals due to several critical roadblocks. These include the emergence of antifungal drug resistance, a lack of approved fungal vaccines, and limited tools for early diagnosis.

According to Dr. Biswas, these challenges illustrate the urgent need for therapeutic strategies that differ from current approaches.

The Role of Immune Metabolic Reprogramming

To explore new treatment avenues, Dr. Biswas and his coinvestigators used a murine model of candidiasis to study neutrophils. Neutrophils are the primary effector cells responsible for the rapid clearance of fungi during an infection.

The research found that the natural antifungal activity of these neutrophils depends heavily on extracellular glucose. However, during the infection process, this essential nutrient becomes scarce.

This scarcity occurs because Candida albicans competes with the immune cells for the available glucose, hindering the ability of neutrophils to effectively clear the fungus.

By focusing on immune metabolic reprogramming, researchers aim to enhance the body’s own immune response rather than relying solely on the development of new antifungal agents to kill the pathogen directly.