Tissue-type plasminogen activator protects against kidney damage in invasive fungal infection.

tPA protects against kidney damage in invasive Candida albicans infections by reducing renal tubular epithelial cell apoptosis, with a significant role in preserving kidney integrity.

• Why it matters: Kidney damage from invasive candidiasis worsens patient outcomes, yet the intrinsic renal protective mechanisms are not well understood, limiting targeted therapies.
• What they did: Researchers identified that tPA is induced by IL-17 and TNFα in renal cells, signaling through LRP1 to activate ERK1/2 and suppress apoptosis, using mouse models with cell-specific gene deletions and tPA treatments.
• The result: tPA administration reduced kidney damage by limiting cell death, highlighting the tPA/LRP1 pathway as a promising therapeutic target to protect kidneys during fungal infections.