Universal Fungal Vaccine Protects Mice From Deadly Infection

A vaccine designed to fight multiple deadly fungal infections just proved it can protect against one of the world's most dangerous superbugs.

Researchers at the University of Georgia showed their pan-fungal vaccine successfully protected mice from Candida auris, a drug-resistant yeast the CDC has labeled an urgent public health threat. The fungus spreads rapidly in hospitals and can kill vulnerable patients within days.

The vaccine works by training the immune system to recognize and attack several different fungal threats at once. In the latest study published in Vaccines, the protected mice not only avoided infection but also recovered when scientists used the vaccine's antibodies as a treatment for already-sick animals.

"There is a critical need for new strategies for anti-fungal treatment due to the alarming increase in the emergence of drug resistance," said Karen Norris, the immunology professor who developed the vaccine. Her team has now proven the vaccine works against the three most common deadly fungi, which cause over 80% of fatal fungal infections.

The timing couldn't be more urgent. Fungal infections kill millions of people each year and cost billions in healthcare expenses. They double hospitalization costs, double the length of hospital stays, and double the risk of death for infected patients.

Right now, there are no effective vaccines to prevent fungal infections. The few available treatments are losing their power as fungi become increasingly resistant to medication, much like antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

While these infections once mainly threatened patients with severely weakened immune systems, the vulnerable population is growing. People with diabetes, chronic lung disease, or recent infections like COVID-19, tuberculosis, or flu now face higher risks too.

The Ripple Effect

This vaccine represents something entirely new in medicine. If it succeeds in human trials planned for the coming years, it would become the world's first vaccine to prevent deadly fungal infections, which the World Health Organization considers one of the top threats to public health.

The researchers have already shown the vaccine protects against vaginal yeast infections in mice and works safely in nonhuman primates. Each successful test brings the vaccine closer to helping the growing number of vulnerable people worldwide.

The breakthrough also offers a dual approach: preventing infections before they start and treating severe cases that break through other defenses. That flexibility could save countless lives in hospitals where drug-resistant fungi spread most easily.

One vaccine protecting against multiple deadly threats could transform how we fight these silent killers.