Galleria mellonella: An invertebrate model to study pathogenicity in correctly defined fungal species

•Galleria mellonella is a potent model to study human fungal pathogens.•Virulence potential in Galleria larvae is species dependent.•Temperature, inoculum size and larval quality have a high impact on the outcome.•Standardized protocols would facilitate comparison of data.

The high mortality rates and economic burden associated with fungal infections, plus the emergence of fungal strains resistant to antifungal drugs, make it necessary to get a deeper understanding of fungal pathogenesis, as well as to identify new target structures for antifungal drug development. Still, murine models are considered as the gold standard for studying pathogenesis, quantifying virulence, and analysing the efficacy of antifungal drugs. However, invertebrates, such as the larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella, are promising alternative hosts to address some of these questions, especially when a large number of fungal strains need to be evaluated. The purpose of this review is to summarize the benefits and drawbacks, explain the utilization of the invertebrate model host G. mellonella, and compare the virulence potential of the most important human fungal pathogens, with the focus on different virulence potential of closely related species.