Overview
- University of Exeter researchers delivered the first in vivo transcriptomic analysis of Candida auris by comparing gene activity in infected hosts versus lab conditions across all five major clades.
- The study identified a conserved infection signature enriched for iron‑scavenging transporters, including 12 xenosiderophore transporter candidate (XTC) genes and five haem transport–related (HTR) genes.
- Candida auris switched to filamentous growth during infection, a morphological change that may facilitate nutrient searching.
- The team proposes iron acquisition pathways as potential therapeutic targets and notes that repurposing iron‑targeting drugs warrants testing in human infection models.
- Published in Communications Biology, the work addresses a WHO‑classified critical pathogen known for drug resistance and approximately 45% mortality once infections are established.