AUTHOR=Bao Meng-Yuan , Li Ming , Bu Qing-Ru , Yang Yue , Song Hang , Wang Chang-Zhong , Wang Tian-Ming , Li Ning 

TITLE=The effect of herbal medicine in innate immunity to Candida albicans

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1096383

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1096383

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Candida albicans</italic> (<italic>C. albicans</italic>) is an opportunistic pathogenic fungus that often causes mucosal and systemic infections. Several pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), have been implicated in the host recognition of <italic>C. albicans</italic>. These PRRs recognize the pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) of <italic>C. albicans</italic> to activate innate immune cells, thereby rapidly inducing various inflammatory responses by activating intracellular signaling cascades. Herbal medicine and its active components deserve priority development due to their low toxicity and high antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activities. This review discussed the activities of herbal compounds against <italic>C. albicans</italic> and their related mechanisms, especially their regulatory role on innate immune cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells (DCs) implicated in <italic>C. albicans</italic> infections. Our work aims to find new therapeutic drugs and targets to prevent and treat diseases caused by <italic>C. albicans</italic> infection with the mechanisms by which this fungus interacts with the innate immune response.</p>