Studying Microbial Communities In Vivo: A Model of Host-mediated Interaction Between Candida Albicans and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in the Airways.

Studying host-pathogen interaction enables us to understand the underlying mechanisms of the pathogenicity during microbial infection. The prognosis of the host depends on the involvement of an adapted immune response against the pathogen. Immune response is complex and results from interaction of the pathogens and several immune or non-immune cellular types. In vitro studies cannot characterise these interactions and focus on cell-pathogen interactions. Moreover, in the airway, particularly in patients with suppurative chronic lung disease or in mechanically ventilated patients, polymicrobial communities are present and complicate host-pathogen interaction. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans are both problem pathogens, frequently isolated from tracheobronchial samples, and associated to severe infections, especially in intensive care unit. Microbial interactions have been reported between these pathogens in vitro but the clinical impact of these interactions remains unclear. To study the interactions between C. albicans and P. aeruginosa, a murine model of C. albicans airways colonization, followed by a P. aeruginosa-mediated acute lung infection was performed.