Candida infections and modelling disease

Candida species are commonly considered harmless commensals, and are isolated from the vagina, mouth and gastrointestinal tracts. When the host-fungus interaction becomes unbalanced, usually due to a change in the host, the fungus is able to initiate infection and cause disease. In the majority of the cases these are superficial mucosal lesions, but in severely ill patients the fungus can enter the bloodstream and cause a disseminated infection. Disseminated Candida infections have high mortality rates, usually due to difficulties in diagnosing the infection which leads to delay in the initiation of effective therapy. In the majority of cases, Candida albicans is the causative organism, but there is an increased prevalence of non-albicans Candida species in some of the patients.
Experimental models play an important role in our attempt to fully understand the development of Candida infections and in the development of better antifungal agents and of more effective diagnostics for infection. In this chapter, Candida carriage infection and associated species will be discussed. Experimental models of Candida infection and their uses will also be discussed.