Use of a human immortalized microglia cell line to study recognition, phagocytosis, and intracellular survival of <i>Cryptococcus neoformans</i>

While <i>Cryptococcus neoformans</i> is acquired through inhalation, the fatal pathology of cryptococcal infection occurs when the yeast disseminates to the central nervous system (CNS) and causes cryptococcal meningitis. Microglia are the first immune cells that <i>C. neoformans</i> will encounter once it reaches the CNS, and they are the largest population of macrophages in the brain. While microglia are professional phagocytes, they are unable to control <i>C. neoformans</i> infection. The mechanisms behind uncontrolled growth of <i>C. neoformans</i> within the CNS remain understudied, partly due to incomplete knowledge regarding microglia-cryptococcal interactions. This study provides fundamental knowledge into these interactions and establishes a powerful model to specifically study how <i>C. neoformans</i> is recognized by microglia and how cryptococcal phagosomes mature in these phagocytes. This work opens new avenues of research to further our understanding of cryptococcal-host interactions, which can be leveraged to develop more effective therapeutics for cryptococcal meningitis.