title: Heat-killed yeast protects diabetic ketoacidotic-steroid treated mice from pulmonary mucormycosis.
abstract: Previous studies have shown that vaccination with heat-killed yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (HKY), protects mice against systemic candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis or coccidioidomycosis. Here we sought to define the potential use of HKY as a vaccine to protect mice from mucormycosis. Mice were vaccinated with different regimens of HKY prior to induction of diabetes. Diabetic ketoacidotic (DKA) mice were then treated with steroids prior to intratracheal challenge with Rhizopus oryzae. All regimens of HKY vaccine improved survival of DKA mice and reduced fungal burden in the primary target organ, lungs, as determined by qPCR. Furthermore, compared to mice vaccinated with diluent, vaccination with HKY substantially increased the mouse immune response as determined by detection of increased anti-Rhizopus antibody titers. Our results show that HKY protects steroid-treated DKA mice from pulmonary R. oryzae infection. Considering its demonstrated efficacy against other fungal infections, HKY is a promising candidate for development as a panfungal vaccine.
authors.affiliation: The Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States; St. John's Cardiovascular Research Center, Torrance, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Guanpingsheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: The Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States; St. John's Cardiovascular Research Center, Torrance, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Teclegiorgis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gebremariam
authors.affiliation: California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, CA, United States; The Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Karl V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Clemons
authors.affiliation: California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, CA, United States; The Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: The Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, CA, United States; St. John's Cardiovascular Research Center, Torrance, CA, United States; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States. Electronic address: ibrahim@labiomed.org.
authors.forename: Ashraf S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000276:immunology; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D005657:Fungal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009091:Mucormycosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012233:Rhizopus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000276:immunology*; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D005657:Fungal Vaccines; D013256:Steroids
keywords: Heat-killed Saccharomyces; Mucormycosis; Rhizopus oryzae; Vaccine