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Blood protein thwarts deadly fungal disease

Low levels of albumin, a protein found in blood, are associated with poor clinical outcomes for people with the fungal disease mucormycosis.
By
  1. Katrina B. Mar

    1. Katrina B. Mar is in the Immuno-Oncology Program and in the Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York 10065, USA.

  2. Tobias M. Hohl

    1. Tobias M. Hohl is in the Immuno-Oncology Program and in the Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, New York 10065, USA.

A subset of fungi called pin moulds, which are members of the fungal order Mucorales, can cause an infection known as mucormycosis. These fungi typically invade the sinus and lung tissues, and can jeopardize a person’s eyesight, owing to the proximity of the eyes to infected sinuses. In severe cases, the infection can be fatal. Humans face lifelong exposure to airborne spores from Mucorales fungi (such as those from the genera Mucor, Rhizopus or Lichtheimia) because these microorganisms are prevalent in soil and decaying plant matter. Individuals with poorly controlled diabetes are most at risk of developing mucormycosis, as are people with compromised immune systems or those with severe COVID-19 infections1. Writing in Nature, Pikoulas et al.2 report that having a low level of the protein albumin in the serum, the liquid component of the blood, is a risk factor for mucormycosis.

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Nature 649, 561-562 (2026)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-03985-7

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Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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