A vaccine against coccidioidomycosis is justified and attainable.
Coccidioides is a fungal pathogen of humans which can cause a life-threatening respiratory disease in immunocompetent individuals. Recurrent epidemics of coccidioidal infections in Southwestern United States has raised the specter of awareness of this soil-borne microbe, particularly among residents of Arizona and Southern California, and has galvanized research efforts to develop a human vaccine against coccidioidomycosis. In this review, we discuss the rationale for such a vaccine, examine the features of host innate and acquired immune response to Coccidioides infection, describe strategies used to identify and evaluate vaccine candidates, and provide an update on progress toward development of a vaccine against this endemic pathogen.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, Ohio 43614, USA.
G T
GT
Cole
J M
JM
Xue
C N
CN
Okeke
E J
EJ
Tarcha
V
V
Basrur
R A
RA
Schaller
R A
RA
Herr
J J
JJ
Yu
C Y
CY
Hung
D000818:Animals; D003045:Coccidioides / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003047:Coccidioidomycosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005657:Fungal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D014611:Vaccination; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology
D005657:Fungal Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated