# CANDIDA ADHERENCE & PENETRATION OF VASCULAR ENDOTHELIUM

> **NIH NIH R01** · LOS ANGELES COUNTY HARBOR-UCLA MED CTR · 1989 · $110,603

## Abstract

Critical to understanding the pathogenesis of disseminated candi-
diasis is elucidation of the events of escape of Candida from the
intravascular compartment and its penetration through vessel walls
during invasion of target organs.  This process occurs in a milieu
rich in circulating humoral and cellular elements and across the
boundary of the vascular endothelial cells.  During the last grant
period, utilizing a model of the vascular compartment-endothelial
cell interface consisting of human vascular endothelial cells in
tissue culture, we found evidence for a ligand-dependent
interaction in adherence of Candida to endothelium, made a
polyclonal antiserum that blocks adherence, and showed, for the
first time, a protective role of leukocytes for endothelium during
Candida tissue penetration.  Additionally, we developed an ELISA
for quantifying endothelial cell adherence, an elutriator system
for adding additional dimensions to monitoring neutrophil and
endothelial cell secretory physiological responses, and methods to
focus on facets of Candida physiology such as cell wall
composition, cell morphology, and secretory products likely to be
important in adherence and penetration of endothelium.

Using this background knowledge and the newer methods we developed
during the previous funding period, we will characterize the nature
of the adhesin ligand using immunoprecipitation of cell wall
adhesins with antiserum that blocks adherence and with
biochemically extracted cell wall constituents, elucidate
mechanisms of Candida penetration of endothelium with selected
cerulenin resistant, germ tube negative, and protease negative
mutants, determine mechanisms by which neutrophils protect
endothelium from Candida damage, characterize chemotactic factors
secreted by endothelium, and determine whether endothelial cells
enhance circulating neutrophil-Candida phagocytosis and killing
through secretion of cytokines and/or contiguous contact with
neutrophils.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3129449
- **Project number:** 5R01AI019990-05
- **Recipient organization:** LOS ANGELES COUNTY HARBOR-UCLA MED CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** John E Edwards
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $110,603
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1984-09-01 → 1993-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3129449

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3129449, CANDIDA ADHERENCE & PENETRATION OF VASCULAR ENDOTHELIUM (5R01AI019990-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3129449. Licensed CC0.

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