AUTHOR=Yu Dalang , Liu Zhiping 

TITLE=The research progress in the interaction between Candida albicans and cancers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.988734

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.988734

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Candida albicans</italic> is an opportunistic pathogenic fungus, which tends to infect the host with defective immune function including cancer patients. A growing number of studies have shown that <italic>C. albicans</italic> infection increases the host susceptibility to cancer such as oral, gastric, and colorectal cancer. Cancer and anti-cancer treatment may also affect the colonization of <italic>C. albicans. C. albicans</italic> may promote the development of cancer by damaging mucosal epithelium, inducing the production of carcinogens, triggering chronic inflammation including Th17 cell-mediated immune response. In this article, we aim to elaborate the interaction between <italic>C. albicans</italic> and cancers development and summarize the potential molecular mechanisms, so as to provide theoretical basis for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancers.</p>