LncRNA: A Potential Target for Host-Directed Therapy of <i>Candida</i> Infection

Abstract

Despite various drugs work against Candida, candidiasis represents clinical management challenges worldwide due to the rising incidence and recurrence rate, as well as epidemics, of new drug-resistant pathogens. Recent insights into interactions between Candida and hosts contribute to exploring novel therapeutic strategies, termed host-directed therapies (HDTs). HDTs are viable adjuncts with good efficacy for the existing standard antifungal regimens. However, HDTs induce other response unintendedly, thus requiring molecular targets with highly specificity. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with highly specific expression patterns could affect biological processes, including the immune response. Herein, this review will summarize recent advances of HDTs based on the Candida–host interaction. Especially, the findings and application strategies of lncRNAs related to the host response are emphasized. We propose it is feasible to target lncRNAs to modulate the host defense during Candida infection, which provides a new perspective in identifying options of HDTs for candidiasis.

Keywords

• <i>Candida</i>
• <i>Candida</i>–host interaction
• host-directed therapy (HDT)
• lncRNA