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Guardian of health or deadly predator? What role does Candida play in our bodies?
Candida is a yeast-like fungus that is widely present in our living environment. Not only is it the most common cause of fungal infection worldwide, it is also one of the largest yeast genera of medical importance. This genus includes approximately two hundred species, many of which are commensal or endosymbiotic bacteria that are harmless to humans. Candida can invade the body and cause disease when the mucosal barrier is disrupted or the immune system is compromised, which is known as Opportunistic infections.
Candida species mainly live in our digestive tract, skin and various mucosal surfaces. Under certain circumstances, they may become pathogenic.
The most commonly isolated species is Candida albicans, a fungus that can cause infections (such as candidiasis or oral leukoplakia) in humans and other animals. Candida can also cause adverse reactions in certain technological applications, such as in the winemaking process, where certain Candida species can cause wine to spoil. Notably, the role of these Candida symbiotic states in normal organisms remains a focus of research.
Biological characteristics of Candida
When cultured in the laboratory, Candida will appear as large, round, white or cream-colored colonies that smell like yeast on agar media at room temperature. Candida albicans ferments glucose and maltose into acids and gases but does not ferment lactose, which helps distinguish it from other Candida species.
As molecular biology advances, more and more Candida genomes are being decoded, making our understanding of the genetic differences and relationships between species clearer.
Candida as a pathogen
Although Candida is usually present in low numbers on the skin of healthy adults, Candida albicans is a normal flora of the respiratory tract, digestive tract, and female reproductive tract. However, when these barriers are damaged, or there are other health problems, excessive Candida can lead to superficial infections such as oropharyngeal candidiasis or vaginal candidiasis. However, these infections can usually be treated with antifungal drugs in healthy individuals.
In patients with compromised immune systems, Candida may cause more severe systemic infections such as bacteremia and invasive candidiasis.
Applications of Candida
In addition to its medical significance, Candida albicans has also found new uses in scientific research. For example, current research has found that Candida albicans can be combined with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to produce stable conductive bionanocomposites that can be used as temperature sensing elements. It’s a reminder that the tiniest creatures can have unexpected potential.
Various Candida species
Among the many species of Candida, Candida albicans occupies a major role in causing bloodstream infections. However, an increase in infections with other species such as Candida glabrata and Candida lucida has recently been seen, possibly because of the increasing resistance of these species to currently widely used pharmaceutical antifungals. Other species such as Candida tropicalis, Candida bilaterians and the recently emerging pathogen Candida auris have also received widespread attention.
The existence of these diverse Candida species not only makes people feel the complexity of the microbial world, but also prompts us to think deeply about the coexistence with these organisms.
In today's society, the research on Candida is still an important frontier of biomedicine. They cannot be dismissed simply as harmless commensals or as disease-causing agents because the line between health and disease is blurred. In the face of these microorganisms, we should re-understand our bodies and their true role. Do they pose a threat to our health, or do they provide the necessary balance for our ecosystem?
