Cryptococcal capsular proteins induce a Th2 profile of CD4+ helper cells (Almeida et al., 2001), with this Th2 profile, naïve CD4+ cell activation is abrogated leading to conditions favourable for cryptococcal growth through preventing production of pro inflammatory cytokines. Cryptococcal capsule also may disrupt host T cell responses, through GXM directly inhibiting T cell proliferation, but the mechanism behind this is unclear (Yauch et al., 2006). Similarly, GXMGal is also shown to inhibit proliferation of T cell, potentially through the induction of T cell apoptosis (Pericolini et al., 2006). How cryptococcal capsular modulation of T cell responses is relevant in disease is not clear, as we do not know what the encapsulated state of cryptococci during clearance of infection from the immunocompetent lung. Where this may be very important is the handling of cryptococci in the immunocompromised after CNS invasion where cryptococcal capsule is significantly enlarged (see below for discussion of T cell functionality in cryptococcal meningitis).