Candida albicans: Insights into the Biology and Experimental Innovations of a Commonly Isolated Human Fungal Pathogen

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen associated with healthy humans. It is the major causative agent for superficial and invasive candidiasis in immunocompromised individuals globally. Lack of awareness toward fungal infections, poor disease management, and increasing drug resistance have contributed to the burden of C. albicans-associated diseases. C. albicans displays polymorphism, assisting in host interaction, virulence, and sustenance of the pathogen. Well-known polymorphic forms of C. albicans include yeast, hyphal, pseudohyphal, white, opaque, gray, GUT, and chlamydospores. While the predominant mode of propagation is via mitosis, the organism also displays a parasexual cycle. The pathogen's parasexual mating and genome plasticity introduce variants in the population, leading to adaptability and drug resistance. This organism can adopt robust pathogenic modules capable of destroying host tissues and forming drug-resistant biofilms. On the other hand, its ability to maintain an amicable interaction with the host immune system, coexisting microbiome, and adaptability to the host microenvironment makes it a successful commensal. Over the years, C. albicans has emerged as a useful model for understanding basic cell biology and drug resistance in fungal pathogens. Advancements in genetic manipulation tools have accelerated our understanding of these biological processes and eased the drug development process. This review provides comprehensive information about C. albicans and the tools available to investigate it. Studying its life cycle, disease epidemiology, mechanisms of infection, and host immune responses is crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions.