Pulmonary colonization of Candida albicans drives breast cancer lung metastasis via candidalysin

Candida albicans is selectively enriched in breast cancer lung metastases, and candidalysin secretion levels dictate its metastasis-promoting potential in pulmonary colonization models.

• Why it matters: It remains unclear whether mycobiomes colonizing distant organs actively shape tumor evolution and metastatic progression, limiting mechanistic biomarkers and therapeutic targeting.
• What they did: The study identified C. albicans enrichment in lung metastases, then used candidalysin-dependent mechanisms involving pulmonary mast cell activation and chemotactic mediator release, supported by clinical isolates and isogenic mutants.
• The result: A combination regimen that eliminates fungal colonization, stabilizes mast cells, and reverses the immunosuppressive microenvironment significantly curtails metastatic progression, establishing pulmonary C. albicans colonization as a driver.