133062Lowering the incidence and death-rate of invasive candidiasis through probiotic bacteria in the gut.ClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKCandida yeast is a common cause of infections of the mouth and the vagina, which are irritating but not life-threatening. However, if Candida enters the bloodstream it causes a dangerous disease known as invasive candidiasis (IC). About one-third of people with IC will die from it (as the Candida infects organs of the body and becomes very difficult to eradicate). IC has become more common in recent years, as a side-effect of an increase in the number of people with weakened immune systems, particularly those in hospitals undergoing treatment for other conditions (e.g. cancer chemotherapy). One-third of the population carry Candida cells in their intestine, and normally they are harmless, because good bacteria in the gut keep the Candida under control. But broad-spectrum antibiotics can destroy the good bacteria, and leave yeasts unaffected, and able to become dominant. From there, the Candida may cross the gut wall into the bloodstream. This project will use sophisticated selection methods to identify strains of good bacteria with characteristics to eliminate Candida cells from the gut; and so greatly reduce the risk of developing IC. Such strains will be incorporated into a probiotic product.