How the common fungus Candida albicans colonizes the gut
About 80% of people have the fungus Candida albicans in their gut. Although most of the time it persists unnoticed for years causing no health problems, C. albicans can turn into a dangerous microbe that causes serious diseases in many organs, including the urinary tract, lungs and brain. Understanding how this fungus colonizes the gut is key to preventing it from becoming harmful.
Working with a mouse model, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and international collaborators have discovered unexpected factors that help C. albicans ...