New Insights in Candida albicans Innate Immunity at the Mucosa: Toxins, Epithelium, Metabolism, and Beyond

The mucosal surfaces of the human body are challenged by millions of microbes on a daily basis. Co-evolution with these microbes has led to the development of plastic mechanisms in both host and microorganisms that regulate the balance between preserving beneficial microbes and clearing pathogens. <i>Candida albicans</i> is a fungal pathobiont present in most healthy individuals that, under certain circumstances, can become pathogenic and cause everything from mild mucosal infections to life-threatening systemic diseases. As an essential part of the innate immunity in mucosae, epithelial cells elaborate complex immune responses that discriminate between commensal and pathogenic microbes, including <i>C. albicans</i>. Recently, several significant advances have been made identifying new pieces in the puzzle of host-microbe interactions. This review will summarize these advances in the context of our current knowledge of anti-<i>Candida</i> mucosal immunity, and their impact on epithelial immune responses to this fungal pathogen.