A team of researchers revealed that Candida albicans utilizes finely balanced production of the toxin candidalysin to establish long-term colonization in the oral mucosa while evading immune detection. Low toxin expression permits fungal persistence without triggering strong inflammatory responses, whereas high levels invoke immune activation and organism clearance. Comparative analyses between virulent and commensal strains in mouse models underscored this dynamic regulation. This insight advances understanding of fungal-host interactions, potentially guiding strategies to control opportunistic infections by modulating candidalysin expression.