# mSphere of Influence: Seeking the unseen fungi in tumors

## TL;DR

This paper discusses recent studies showing that fungi play a significant role in cancer progression and infection in cancer patients.

## Contribution

The paper highlights new insights into the role of the fungal mycobiome in promoting cancer and severe infections.

## Key findings

- Fungi contribute to pancreatic cancer through activation of MBL.
- Fungal involvement is observed in gastrointestinal and lung tumors across various cancers.
- Fungal pathogens in tumors may have unexplored mechanisms affecting cancer patients.

## Abstract

Ningning Liu works in the field of fungal infection and cancer progression, with a particular focus on the mechanism of host-pathogen interaction. In this mSphere of influence article, he reflects on how papers entitled “The fungal mycobiome promotes pancreatic oncogenesis via activation of MBL,” by B. Aykut, S. Pushalkar, R. Chen, Q. Li, et al. (Nature 574:264–267, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1608-2), and “A pan-cancer mycobiome analysis reveals fungal involvement in gastrointestinal and lung tumors,” by A. B. Dohlman, J. Klug, M. Mesko, I. H. Gao, et al. (Cell 185:3807–3822.E12, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.015), emphasized the non-negligible role of fungi in the host and demonstrated a connection between fungi and cancer. These researches arouse his interest in seeking the novel fungal pathogen lurking inside tumors and understanding the unexplored mechanisms behind the severe fungal infections in cancer patients.