Charles A. Specht

This study identifies Blp4 as a Cryptococcus neoformans antigen that elicits B cell-dependent protective immunity in mice and antibody responses in human cryptococcosis survivors.

The paper identifies MHC-II epitopes in C. neoformans chitin deacetylases that stimulate CD4+ T cells and demonstrates their protective role in a hybrid protein vaccine.

This paper identifies CD4+ T cells and their cytokines IFNγ, TNF, and IL-23 as critical for vaccine-mediated protection against Cryptococcus neoformans, with protection retained after vaccination even with CD4+ T cell depletion.

This paper develops multivalent cryptococcal vaccines using CAF01 adjuvant that protect mice from experimental cryptococcosis by inducing IFNγ and IL-17 responses.