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. 2016 Feb 9;7:105. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00105

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Copyright © 2016 Leopold Wager, Hole, Wozniak and Wormley.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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Macrophage activation: protection against Cryptococcus is associated with M1 or classically activated macrophages. M1 macrophages are induced by exposure to the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ. M1 macrophages are efficient killers as they have increased nitric oxide (NO) and ROS production. M2 or alternatively activated macrophages are associated non-protective immune responses to Cryptococcus. M2 macrophages are not efficient killers and allow Cryptococcus to grow and proliferate within the macrophage and may lead to dissemination. In addition, macrophage phenotype is plastic, allowing for macrophages to switch between M1 and M2 phenotypes based on cytokines present in their environment.