New immunotherapeutic strategies to control vaginal candidiasis.
The widespread occurrence of mucosal infections caused by Candida, in particular recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis among fertile-age women, together with the paucity of safe candidacidal antimycotics, have prompted a great number of investigations into the immunotherapy of candidal vaginitis. This article will discuss three different experimental approaches demonstrated to be potentially transferable to human disease: (1) the use of antibodies against well-defined cell-surface adhesins or enzymes; (2) the generation of yeast killer-toxin-like candidacidal anti-idiotypic antibodies and their engineered molecular derivatives (e.g. single chains, peptides); and (3) the generation of therapeutic vaccines and immunomodulators.
Magliani
Walter
W
Microbiology Section, Dept of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Parma, Viale Gramsci 14, 43100 Parma, Italy. magliwal@unipr.it
Conti
Stefania
S
Cassone
Antonio
A
De Bernardis
Flavia
F
Polonelli
Luciano
L
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002175:Candida / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005657:Fungal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000276:immunology; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D005657:Fungal Vaccines; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes