AUTHOR=Decote-Ricardo Debora , LaRocque-de-Freitas Isabel Ferreira , Rocha Juliana Dutra B. , Nascimento Danielle O. , Nunes Marise P. , Morrot Alexandre , Freire-de-Lima Leonardo , Previato Jose Osvaldo , Mendonça-Previato Lucia , Freire-de-Lima Celio Geraldo 

TITLE=Immunomodulatory Role of Capsular Polysaccharides Constituents of Cryptococcus neoformans

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2019.00129

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2019.00129

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=<p>Cryptococcosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by <italic>Cryptococcus neoformans</italic>. In immunocompetent patients, cryptococcal infection is often confined to the lungs. In immunocompromised individuals, <italic>C. neoformans</italic> may cause life-threatening illness, either from novel exposure or through reactivation of a previously acquired latent infection. For example, cryptococcal meningitis is a severe clinical disease that can manifest in people that are immunocompromised due to AIDS. The major constituents of the <italic>Cryptococcus</italic> polysaccharide capsule, glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), and galactoxylomannan (GalXM), also known as glucuronoxylomanogalactan (GXMGal), are considered the primary virulence factors of <italic>Cryptococcus</italic>. Despite the predominance of GXM in the polysaccharide capsule, GalXM has more robust immunomodulatory effects on host cellular immunity. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding host-<italic>Crytococcus neoformans</italic> interactions and the role of capsular polysaccharides in host immunomodulation. Future studies will likely facilitate a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in antigenic recognition and host immune response to <italic>C. neoformans</italic> and lead to the development of new therapeutic pathways for cryptococcal infection.</p>