Seminar: Regulation and recognition of the polysaccharide capsule from Cryptococcus neoformans

Abstract: Cryptococcal meningitis is a severe brain infection caused by opportunistic pathogen C. neoformans targeting immunocompromised individuals. Moreover, the capsule it produces remains the most well characterised virulence factor aiding in host immune evasion, and yet no treatments have been able to target it directly. This work aims to understand how novel lectibodies might be used to combat cryptococcosis and remove the camouflage that the capsule provides to the pathogen during infection. We’ve identified several lectin recognition domains that may play a role in cryptococcal immune recognition and evaluate their therapeutic characteristics during cryptococcal infections.