Galleria mellonella as a versatile model for investigating Candida glabrata virulence and antifungal resistance

<i>Candida glabrata</i> is an opportunistic fungal pathogen and a leading cause of invasive candidiasis, particularly in immunocompromised patients, where treatment is increasingly compromised by intrinsic and acquired antifungal resistance. Despite lacking morphological plasticity, <i>C. glabrata</i> employs distinct virulence strategies, including adhesin-mediated host colonization, intracellular survival within phagocytes, stress tolerance, iron acquisition and biofilm formation. This review synthesizes current knowledge of <i>C. glabrata</i> virulence and antifungal resistance mechanisms, with a particular focus on azole and echinocandin resistance driven by efflux pump regulation and <i>FKS</i> mutations. We critically evaluate the greater wax moth larva, <i>Galleria mellonella</i>, as a non-mammalian <i>in vivo</i> model for studying <i>C. glabrata</i> pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions and antifungal efficacy. Evidence demonstrating concordance between <i>G. mellonella</i>, murine models and clinical outcomes is discussed, alongside the model's limitations, including the absence of adaptive immunity. Collectively, this review highlights <i>G. mellonella</i> as a robust, cost-effective platform for dissecting <i>C. glabrata</i> virulence traits and for preclinical screening of antifungal therapies, supporting its growing role in translational fungal research.