Fungal colonization of the brain: anatomopathological aspects of neurological cryptococcosis

Brain infection by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans results in an estimated 500,000 human deaths per annum. Colonization of the central nervous system (CNS) by C. neoformans causes different clinical syndromes that involve interaction of a number of fungal components with distinct brain cells. In this manuscript, our literature review confirmed the notion that the Cryptococcus field is expanding rapidly, but also suggested that studies on neuropathogenesis still represent a small fraction of basic research activity in the field. We therefore discussed anatomical and physiological aspects of the brain during infection by C. neoformans, in addition to mechanisms by which brain resident cells interact with the fungus. This review suggests that multiple efforts are necessary to improve the knowledge on how C. neoformans affects brain cells, in order to enable the generation of new therapeutic tools in a near future.

新型隐球菌（Cryptococcus neoformans）引发的脑部感染，据估算每年可造成约50万例人类死亡。新型隐球菌定植于中枢神经系统（central nervous system, CNS）后，可引发多种临床综合征，该过程涉及多种真菌组分与不同脑细胞间的相互作用。本文的文献综述不仅证实了新型隐球菌研究领域正快速发展这一论断，同时也发现针对神经致病机理的研究仍仅占该领域基础研究活动的一小部分。为此，本文除探讨了新型隐球菌感染过程中大脑的解剖学与生理学特性外，还阐述了脑内常驻细胞与该真菌相互作用的具体机制。本综述表明，若要在不久的将来开发新型治疗手段，亟需开展更多研究以深化对新型隐球菌如何影响脑细胞的认知。