Neuroimmunity and Autoimmunity in Fungal Infections

Dear Colleagues,

The relationship between fungal infections, systemic immunity, and nervous system health is increasingly recognized but remains poorly defined. Fungal pathogens can influence the nervous system through distinct yet interconnected immune axes. In some cases, fungi or their structural components directly enter the central nervous system (CNS), activating microglia, astrocytes, and infiltrating leukocytes. This can lead to inflammation, synaptic remodelling, and neuronal dysfunction that may persist even after fungal clearance. However, indirect neuroimmune effects arising from antifungal immune responses outside the CNS are equally important. Interactions between the host and the mycobiome, particularly at mucosal surfaces, can establish systemic inflammatory states that influence CNS immune tone. In individuals with susceptible genetic backgrounds, these systemic shifts may lower the threshold for neuroinflammatory or autoimmune disease, contribute to relapse or chronicity, or modulate progression in neurodegenerative conditions. Crucially, in some settings, pathology does not require the fungal invasion of the CNS, underscoring the need to understand immune signalling networks, host genetics, and the microbiome in shaping neuroimmune outcomes.

We particularly encourage submissions in the following areas:

1. Mechanisms of fungal-induced CNS immune activation, including microglia, astrocyte, and border-associated glia responses.
2. Systemic immune imprinting by fungal colonization or infection and its impact on CNS inflammatory thresholds or autoimmune susceptibility.
3. Host genetic determinants that shape neuroimmune outcomes during or following fungal exposure, including variation in, e.g., immune adaptors, cytokine signalling pathways, and antigen presentation, etc.
4. Clinical, translational, or biomarker studies examining fungal exposure, antifungal immunity, and neurological or psychiatric disease outcomes.

The goal of this Special Issue is not simply to report correlations, but to reshape how we understand the interface between the mycobiome, systemic immune programming, and the nervous system. We seek studies that reveal mechanisms, challenge existing boundaries, and establish new conceptual bridges. By bringing together diverse disciplines, this Special Issue aims to clarify when antifungal immunity protects and when it becomes a driver of pathology during neuroimmunity or autoimmunity.

Dr. Ivy Dambuza
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.