Candida albicans is a common organism that exists widely in nature and also lives harmlessly in the skin or intestines. It is a normal fungus that parasitizes human skin mucous membranes and is also a clinically important conditional pathogenic bacterium. This yeast grows in an uncontrolled manner under certain conditions, especially in immune-compromised individuals, causing mild to fatal fungal infections.

There are five million species of fungi, but only a few hundred can cause human diseases, Candida albicans is one of the most feared. It belongs to one of the four pathogenic fungi that cause high mortality in human beings and is the second most common opportunistic fungal infection in the world. Candida albicans is part of the human intestinal microbiota, but it may cause mucosal infections in healthy individuals and severe opportunistic infections in individuals with weakened immune defenses.

Application of Candida Albicans Genome Editing

Genetic analysis of Candida albicans revealed the determinants of pathogenicity, drug resistance and other unique biological characteristics, as well as the identity of the expected drug target. The genetic engineering research and gene editing of Candida albicans are vital to the development of next-generation antifungal therapies and can also be used to develop targeted drugs.