A pan-fungal vaccine developed by University of Georgia researchers is effective against Candida auris in mice, producing protective antibodies and reducing morbidity and mortality in infected animals.

This vaccine has previously shown protection against the three dominant fungal pathogens across four preclinical models, including nonhuman primates, and has demonstrated protection against vaginal yeast infections in mice, with potential for broader fungal protection and vaginal infection indications in future clinical trials.

The vaccine’s antibody-driven approach could serve both as a preventive measure and as a treatment for acute or life-threatening C. auris infections.

Key contributors include Karen Norris, a professor of immunology and biomedicine translator, and researchers from UGA’s Center for Vaccines and Immunology and College of Veterinary Medicine, with collaborators from Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

The study, published in Vaccines, involved researchers from the UGA Center for Vaccines and Immunology, including Norris and Emily Rayens.

Candida auris is a drug-resistant yeast that spreads in healthcare settings and is deemed an urgent public health threat by the CDC, underscoring the need for new antifungal strategies.

Karen Norris emphasizes the urgent need for antifungal advances due to rising drug resistance and notes the vaccine’s antibody-based potential for treating acute C. auris infections.

Researchers highlight the urgency of developing antifungal strategies, with the vaccine offering potential antibody-based treatment for acute or life-threatening infections.

If proven effective in humans, this vaccine could be the first to prevent pathogenic fungal infections, addressing a major global public health threat highlighted by the World Health Organization.

The study aligns with the WHO’s view of pathogenic fungi as a top global health threat and presents the vaccine as a potential first-in-class preventive approach against diverse fungal infections.

Contingent on successful clinical trials, the vaccine could become the first to prevent pathogenic fungal infections, tackling a WHO-identified major public health threat.