As a leading company in the field of drug development industry, Creative Biolabs has gained a wealth of good reputation for successfully completed numerous challenges in antifungal drug discovery. Based on our advanced technology platform and experienced scientists, we are able to offer a series of antifungal drug discovery services against aspergillosis.
What is Aspergillosis?
Aspergillosis is an infection caused by Aspergillus, a common mold (a type of fungus) that lives indoors and outdoors. Exposure to the fungus doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll get aspergillosis. It’s more likely to infect people with a weak immune system or a lung disease. The illnesses resulting from aspergillosis usually affect the respiratory system, but their signs and severity vary greatly. Generally, the symptoms caused by Aspergillus include allergic reactions, lung infections, and infections in other organs.
Fig.1 Infectious life cycle of A. fumigatus. (Dagenais, 2009)
Types of Aspergillosis
Different types of aspergillosis affect the body in different ways. Some types are mild, but some of them are very serious. The common types of aspergillosis include:
The disease is common in people who have weakened immune systems, such as people with acute leukaemia, stem cell, and other transplants. Invasive aspergillosis most commonly affects the lungs, but it can also spread to other parts of the body.
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a complex hypersensitivity reaction that occurs in response to colonization of the airways with Aspergillus fumigates. It is almost exclusively in patients with asthma or cystic fibrosis (CF) and could cause inflammation in the lungs and allergy symptoms such as coughing and wheezing but doesn’t cause an infection.
Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis is a slowly progressive and destructive disease of the lungs, usually of one or both upper lobes, with cavity formation the most common radiological feature. It is arbitrarily defined as being present for at least 3 months and occurs in non-immunocompromised or minimally immunocompromised patients.
Aspergilloma, also called fungus ball, is a ball of Aspergillus that grows in the lungs or sinuses, but usually does not spread to other parts of the body.
Aspergillus enters the body through a break in the skin (for example, after surgery or a burn wound) and causes infection, usually in people who have weakened immune systems. Cutaneous aspergillosis can also occur if invasive aspergillosis spreads to the skin from somewhere else in the body, such as the lungs.
Types of Aspergillus
Aspergillus mold is unavoidable. Outdoors, it's found in decaying leaves and compost and on plants, trees and grain crops. To date, approximately 180 species of Aspergillus have been found, but fewer than 40 of them are known to cause infections in humans. Among these species, Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common cause of human Aspergillus infections. Other common species include Aspergillus Flavus, Aspergillus Terreus, Aspergillus Niger, and Aspergillus Nidulans.
Fig.2 Interaction of A. fumigates with respiratory epithelia. (Dagenais, 2009)
Aspergillosis Risk
The risk of developing aspergillosis depends on overall health and the extent of exposure to mold. Most people breathe in Aspergillus spores every day without getting sick. However, people with weakened immune systems or lung diseases are at a higher risk of developing health problems due to Aspergillus.
Types of Fungal Diseases Studied by Creative Biolabs
Aided by top technology and professional scientists, Creative Biolabs is committed to promoting the development of global customers’ programs. In addition to aspergillosis, we also provide potential antifungal drug discovery services against other fungal diseases, which including but not limited to:
If you are interested in the fungal disease we investigate, please click the links above. For more detailed information, just feel free to contact us.
Reference
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