During infection, the yeast Candida albicans stimulates the release of tiny RNA fragments, which then stimulate its own growth. An international research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) in Jena has discovered this unusual exploitation of the human immune system. The findings can explain disease processes and provide new approaches for the therapy of fungal infections. The results were published in the journal mBio.