In vivo models provide advantages to study the progression of disease and to identify potential biomarkers to detect and monitor infections. For the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, murine intranasal models aim to recapitulate natural infection from inhalation of desiccated fungal cells from the environment and permit monitoring of disease over time. In this chapter, we describe the establishment of a murine model for cryptococcosis and the subsequent collection of organs, tissues, and fluids for sampling. These samples may support novel diagnostic strategies and opportunities to monitor dissemination of the fungal cells throughout the host and propose new treatment options to combat disease.
Keywords: Cryptococcosis; Cryptococcus neoformans; Intranasal model; Murine model; Sample collection.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.