Cryptococcus

Fungal pathogens pose a significant threat to human health that is greatly underrecognized, despite causing several million deaths every year. To put it simply, the fight against these fungi is complicated. At baseline, there is a severe lack of effective and accessible antifungals, especially in regions with limited resources. Exacerbating the situation, many of these pathogens are opportunists that primarily affect immunocompromised individuals, which adds to the challenges of treatment. Another concern is that climate change selects for thermotolerance in environmental fungi, enhancing their ability to thrive at human body temperatures. This may not only intensify the danger of existing pathogens but also lead to the emergence of new ones. To focus attention on the serious and escalating threat of fungal pathogens, the World Health Organization has recently classified them into priority categories, designating Cryptococcus neoformans as “critical priority”. In this primer, we will discuss the fundamental biology that makes C. neoformans such a notorious pathogen.