Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a leading cause of death in severely immunocompromised patients. Particularly, the mortality rates of patients with leukemia and recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCTs) reach up to 70-90%. As a leading company in antifungal drug discovery, Creative Biolabs is capable of offering a series of high-quality services to exploit new drug candidates for the treatment of IA.
What is Invasive Aspergillosis?
IA is the most severe presentation of aspergillosis. The lung is usually the portal of entry, from which the pathogen may disseminate to almost any organ, the brain and skin being the next most common targets. It usually occurs in people with weakened immune systems, such as people who receipt of therapy for hematologic malignancies or hematopoietic cell or solid organ transplantation. As the most common type of IA, invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) can be found not only in severely immunocompromised patients but also in critically ill patients as well as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Fig1. Pathogenesis of invasive aspergillosis in different immunological settings. (Ben-Ami, 2010)
Symptoms of Invasive Aspergillosis
It is difficult to know which symptoms are typically related to IA as it often occurs in people who are already sick or have other medical conditions. Generally, the symptoms of IA include:
Diagnosis Methods for Invasive Aspergillosis
Culturing of Aspergillus spp in combination with histopathologic analysis (such as biopsy) provides definitive evidence of IA. To avoid the complications caused by biopsy, a rational first step to establish the diagnosis of IA involves the use of noninvasive modalities, such as serum biomarkers (galactomannan and beta-D-glucan assays), and obtaining sputum and/or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens for fungal staining and culture. Moreover, other tests may also be used for the diagnosis of IA, for example, X-ray, CT scan, and blood test for antibodies, allergens, and fungus molecules.
Treatment of Invasive Aspergillosis
Treatment of suspected IA should be initiated promptly as the patient's condition can decline quickly over 1 to 2 weeks from onset to death. Although amphotericin is considered effective, it is considered a second-line drug due to its side effects. Moreover, consideration should also be taken to resolve the patient's immunocompromised state as much as possible considering their comorbid conditions.
Due to the high morbidity and mortality associated with IA, there is an ongoing effort to find ways for outcomes improvement. Early diagnosis and treatment, including periodic monitoring of at-risk patients and empirical treatment when IA is suspected, have been shown to improve survival. Furthermore, developing more specific drugs for the treatment of IA is also urgent.
Based on our advanced platform and experienced scientists, Creative Biolabs is committed to promoting the development of global customers’ antifungal drug discovery programs. In addition to IA, we also provide drug discovery services against other aspergilloses as well as Aspergillus spp. For more detailed information, please feel free to contact us.
Reference
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