tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91833313787808281812012-01-28T10:30:50.509ZThe Aspergillus Website blogThe Aspergillus Website is dedicated to providing information on aspergillus, aspergillosis, aspergilloma and other health problems caused by aspergillus to the professional and layperson. This blog will be used to provide latest information, news, current events, announcements and links to useful information.Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.comBlogger2641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-80473937735806572132012-01-28T10:30:00.000Z2012-01-28T10:30:50.554Z5th Advances Against Aspergillosis - Day 3
Saturday 28 January 2012 – Day 3
08.00 – 08.45 Meet the Professor
Stump the Professor – Interesting clinical dilemmas
John E. Bennett, MD
Souha Kanj, MD
Session 9: Diagnostics and ImagingChairs: Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis, MD & Malcolm Richardson, PhD
09.15 – 09.40 Application of Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0Istanbul Province/Istanbul, Turkey41.00527 28.9769640.621829500000004 28.345246 41.3887105 29.608673999999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-31808389643338877382012-01-27T12:22:00.000Z2012-01-27T12:22:00.180Z5th Advances Against Aspergillosis Conference: Day 2Programme
Go directly to a day's programme
Thursday | Friday | Saturday
Friday 27 January 2012 – Day 2
Session 6: Astellas SymposiumChair: Katsuhiko Kamei, MD, PhD
08.00 – 09.00 Controversies in management: prophylaxis or diagnostics
Andrew Ullman, MD
Drosos E. Karageorgopoulos, MD
Session 7: Genomics and Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0Istanbul Province/Istanbul, Turkey41.00527 28.9769640.621829500000004 28.345246 41.3887105 29.608673999999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-44676031672540328572012-01-26T12:21:00.000Z2012-01-26T12:59:40.046Z5th Advances Against Aspergillosis Conference: Day 1
Programme
Go directly to a day's programmeThursday | Friday | Saturday
Wednesday 25 January 2012
08.30 – 18.00 Pre-Meeting Workshop
Masterclass in the management of chronic and allergic pulmonary aspergillosis
Open to 35 clinicians
Lead by Professor David Denning and other colleagues.
PleaseGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0Istanbul Province/Istanbul, Turkey41.00527 28.9769640.621829500000004 28.345246 41.3887105 29.608673999999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-43761877107627785532012-01-25T13:32:00.001Z2012-01-25T13:32:36.984ZDefensin Mimetics Show Antifungal Activity
It is a fairly well-established fact that many of the antibiotics that have been developed in the past are starting to become less effective as the microbes they are designed to attack gradually become resistant. This is a slow process and can be managed quite effectively by limiting use of our current antibiotics to the more severe cases of infection - this slows the rate at which resistance Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-30501859989256678312012-01-20T13:48:00.000Z2012-01-20T13:48:32.196Z5th Advances Against AspergillosisNewsbite: The 5th Advances against Aspergillosis conference opens in Istanbul next week on the 26th January 2012. AAA5 is the main conference focussing entirely on Aspergillosis, its causes, diagnosis, treatment, clinical research, clinical management and more.
The conference will be reporting back to this blog every day and will be using Twitter @AAA5Conference. more...Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-42886410925699045762012-01-17T15:16:00.000Z2012-01-17T15:17:28.336ZInvasive Aspergillosis Outbreak in Intensive Care Unit - Contaminated Air Identified As Cause
Though it may appear to be obvious few studies have convincingly demonstrated that the source of an outbreak of invasive aspergillosis is unclean air in the hospital environment. It is not generally enough to show that there are spores present in the air of a hospital as spores can also be present prior to the entry of a patient into the hospital, in their airways, on their clothes or in theirGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-53031547129682578622012-01-12T13:12:00.000Z2012-01-12T13:12:01.013ZAspergillus flavusGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-9039471113018665372012-01-11T13:05:00.000Z2012-01-12T12:19:32.831ZNewsbite: Chinese Add Mycotoxin Screening to Milk Production TestingTesting of milk produced by the company Mengniu found it to be contaminated with unacceptably high levels of aflatoxin (occasionally found in cattle feed) after testing was carried out before Christmas 2011. New tests show the levels of aflatoxin are now much lower and are at levels deemed safe to drink. Regular routine screening for aflatoxins in milk has now been introduced in China
more...Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-2015600086805665772012-01-10T16:40:00.001Z2012-01-10T16:50:57.540ZAnti-arthritis Drugs Carry a Risk of Aspergillosis
There are a number of new drugs coming into use which are intended to correct the immune system response of the patient to specific challenges. These drugs hold high promise for the treatment of auto-immune diseases where our immune systems mistake their own host tissues as an invading organism and attack tham as if they were eliminating a bacterium or other micro-organism.
First defined by Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-63311576180283540872012-01-06T13:07:00.004Z2012-01-06T13:35:34.048ZNewsBite: India Invests in Aspergillosis ResearchAiming to accelerate research initiatives in the field of fungi or invasive fungal infections prevalent in India, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) will soon begin research in the domain of medically important fungi with focus on the aspects of molecular epidemiology, pathogenesis and mechanism of fungal diseases, diagnosis of invasive fungal infection and drug development.
The fungi or Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-89578720706140494302012-01-05T17:13:00.000Z2012-01-06T13:34:03.385ZTreatment Recommended for Avian Aspergillosis
Duck lung infected with aspergillosis
An article in Veterinary Practice News reviews the protocols one veterinary practice uses to treat several respiratory infections including aspergillosis. The authors state:
""It is one of the toughest avian diseases to diagnose and successfully treat," Vaughan said. "Since fungal organisms grow very slowly, usually by the time a bird has clinical Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-15726431243367751292012-01-03T17:00:00.003Z2012-01-03T17:04:21.489ZObituary: Friedrich Staib
Professor Friedrich Staib, MD, DVM, passed away on October 18, 2011 in Sommerhausen near Würzburg. He was 86 years old.
Friedrich Staib was born in Uhingen/Württemberg on August 4, 1925. Following military service and war-time imprisonment, he began medical studies, double majoring in veterinary and human medicine at the Universities of Munich and Würzburg. He received approbation as a Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-67739285537958817832011-12-23T16:11:00.000Z2011-12-23T16:12:57.941ZLayman's Description of Gene Therapy to Treat Genetic DisordersPeople, often children, that live with some genetic disorders are vulnerable to infection by Aspergillus. Chronic Granulomatous Disorder and Cystic Fibrosis are two such disorders but there are more.
This video is aimed at patients & carers of people who live with genetic disorders and decribes how new Gene Therapy techniques aim to provide new treatments for these illnesses.
Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-86326958185627031052011-12-21T16:36:00.000Z2012-01-10T12:30:38.613ZAir-borne Fungi are More Diverse Than We Thought
Sir Alexander Fleming receiving the Nobel Prize in 1945
The fungus Sir Alexander Fleming isolated (his famous 'lucky' observation) in 1928 which was the first step in the process that brought us antibiotics, and for which Fleming won the Nobel Prize is in the news once again. That fungus was intensively studied 80 years ago and identified as Penicillium chrysogenum and then put into storage.
Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-63433659562671272292011-12-16T12:36:00.000Z2011-12-20T10:30:00.267ZPatients Die as Aspergillosis is Misdiagnosed as Tuberculosis
Progressive appearance of lung cavities caused by Tb
Tuberculosis (Tb) has a long and terrible history as mankind has fought it for hundreds if not thousands of years. Before the advent of antibiotics it killed millions of people and animals when it was commonly referred to as 'consumption'. 200 years ago it accounted for one in four of all deaths in England, but by the 1980's that had fallen Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-55209211733417022322011-12-14T12:50:00.001Z2011-12-16T20:56:03.455ZNewsbite: Aspergillus hazardous problem in ceramic workersCeramic workers are at a high risk of developing respiratory problems as they are exposed to high levels of
respirable dust containing silica and high microbial counts, including high Aspergillus counts.
The aim of the study
was to study the percentage of ceramic workers with positive Aspergillus (A.) through polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) and specific IgE (sIgE) for the different Aspergillus Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-91729597790213500632011-12-09T09:19:00.001Z2011-12-09T11:14:01.214ZBeep! Beep! Defining the Fungal Barcode for Aspergillus
Many species of fungi including Aspergillus are very difficult to distinguish from one another. They can lack distinct structures, many having very simple forms and many lack sexual forms thus removing one long standing method used to distinguish species from each other i.e. their ability to interbreed.
A more modern way to distinguish species is to look at their DNA sequence. We have started Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-44169071950197196812011-12-08T12:51:00.000Z2011-12-09T12:59:21.036ZSpecial notice: Take Care with your Christmas Tree to Avoid AspergillusIt is worth reminding everyone at this time of year of a study published in 2007 on the amount of mould spores brought into the home by people who purchase freshly cut Christmas trees to decorate for the holiday period. There is no problem for a few days but as the tree starts to die and deteriorate it was shown to be responsible for the production of many thousands of spores - it is after all Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-16424350473472173982011-12-07T12:41:00.000Z2011-12-09T12:46:17.605ZNewsbite: Keep Your Wild Birds free from AspergillosisAt this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere it is common for millions of people to feed wild birds in their gardens in order to enjoy seeing their antics. It is important to keep all feeders clean and dry and food fresh in order to avoid moulds including Aspergillus growing on the foods as the birds can be poisoned by toxins produced by mouldy food. There is also a possibility, especially Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-19371441436171563062011-12-02T14:33:00.000Z2011-12-09T14:42:55.464ZOver a Million Cases of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis Misdiagnosed and Untreated
Press release from the National Aspergillosis Centre:
Researchers have discovered that over a million people worldwide diagnosed with TB go on to develop
an incurable but manageable fungal infection which is usually left untreated because it is mistaken for a
recurrence of the disease.
In a new report published today*, the researchers from University of Manchester (UK) and University of
Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-64041170318159538732011-12-02T13:29:00.001Z2011-12-02T13:44:50.755ZNewsBite: Anti-Malarial Drug Works Well as an AntifungalArtemesinin, an antimalarial drug, have previously been reported as having some antifungal activity. Gautam et. al. have attempted to identify its molecular targets and have found it has an synergistic relationship with itraconazole, such that together they work better than either apart. This could well be a hint that the target for this antifungal activity is novel and functionally different Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-24177035077118107942011-11-29T13:04:00.001Z2011-11-29T15:17:24.281ZAspergillus and Bacteria Team UpBacteria and fungi have often been traditionally suspected as being foes competing for the same food resources in their natural environment. Many antibiotics (e.g. Penicillin) for example are antibacterial substances synthesised by fungi, thought by many to be one way that fungi can beat their bacterial competitors to a meal.
It has now been suggested that that impression is too simplistic. Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-44001135490573237152011-11-25T16:34:00.001Z2011-11-25T16:39:38.325ZNewsbite: A Rare Aspergillosis Mimic
Myceliophthora thermophila is a thermophilic mould widely found in the environment
but rarely responsible for human infections. We describe a case of invasive Myceliophthora
thermophila infection mimicking invasive aspergillosis in a neutropenic patient
with haematological malignancy. Cross-reactivity with Aspergillus galactomannan assay
(GM) was demonstrated by repeated positive results and Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-5879035603458764552011-11-24T14:38:00.001Z2011-11-24T16:38:56.554ZNew Machine gives Asthmatics Relief as they SleepNational and international media are reporting a new alternative for relief from symptoms of asthma has been granted scientific approval by a recent paper in the journal Thorax.
Asthmatics often suffer from coughs and wheezes at night and current medication involves 2 expensive drugs that must be used frequently. It has been previously noted that night-time exposure to allergens is Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-12046938276697700212011-11-17T14:19:00.001Z2011-11-17T14:36:14.264ZExpert Assessments for Off-Label Medicine use
Medications are subject to tight regulation in most parts of the world whereby a particular drug, the group of patients it is used on and they way it is administered must be approved by a governing body prior to its marketing for use. Once authorised the specifics of its use (age group, dose, route of administration etc.) are written into the pack notes for reference by doctors and these form aGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-26123722496720899602011-11-16T15:02:00.001Z2011-11-16T17:32:30.107ZAspergillosis and Congenital Immune Deficiencies - What we learn
Some of the many genetic deficiencies of our immune systems
Children with congenital immune deficiencies have been born having lost specific parts of their immune system and are thus vulnerable to infection by a number of infecting microrganisms.
At first thought we might think that such children are infected by any passing germ, and as such they become infected by the first microrganism thatGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-87431132765806152592011-11-11T10:20:00.001Z2011-11-11T10:28:48.718ZNewsbite: MycAssay Shows Promise for the Rapid Detection of Invasive AspergillosisMycAssay (Lab21) was utilised among a mixed population of 158 patients
with underlying haematological or critical illness, in order to assess
its reliability and performance compared with clinical diagnosis and
conventional diagnostic tests.
Analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage
samples showed that MycAssay Aspergillus offers sensitive and specific
detection capabilities, performing better Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-8257950862231791092011-11-08T16:46:00.001Z2011-11-11T10:29:22.867ZAspergillus Catches a ColdCan Aspergillus catch the equivalent of 'flu? Apparently it can as reported in a new paper published recently. Several Aspergillus fumigatus isolates have been shown to be infected with mycovirus. They were 'cured' of infection and then re-infected to prove that there was a virus passing between the different isolates. Once 'cured' the fungus had a different growth rate and appearance. When Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-38252611734700566762011-11-07T13:29:00.000Z2011-11-11T11:43:07.727ZObituary: The contribution of John Pateman to Fungal Genetics
1965 Photo of Pateman's colleagues taken by himself
Professor John Arthur Pateman FRS died on 18th May 2011. He was a PhD student of John Fincham at Cambridge University.
Professor Pateman played a large part in our understanding of fungal genetics, in particular the process by which gene products from two separate fungal nuclei can complement each other within the cell to partially restore Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-43892246565459201342011-11-03T09:30:00.003Z2011-11-03T09:32:02.877ZNewsbite: The First Case of Onychomycosis due to Aspergillus nomiusOnychomycosis (infection of the nails) accounts for more than 50% of nail disorders and is commonly caused by the fungi Aspergillus flavus, A. terreus, A. niger, A. fumigatus and A. nidulans. Also commonly caused by the fungi Fusarium, Acremonium and Scopulariopsis, but never before recorded as an infection of the Aspergillus species nomius.
There were 48 species of Aspergillus recorded as being Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-3470092358581569082011-11-02T15:30:00.000Z2011-11-02T15:30:54.681ZThe Steph Smith Appeal: Pre-race relaxationThe Steph Smith Appeal: Pre-race relaxation: Saturday 15 th Oct On arrival at the rather unconventional Bagdogra airport we were hurried into an awaiting jeep by the race organisers. ...Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-3335911249517314112011-11-01T13:41:00.000Z2011-11-01T13:42:00.842ZNewsbite: Farmers Should Take Care Handling Contaminated GrainAt this time of year in some parts of the world there are large harvests of grain, including the US. In some areas the grain can become contaminated with aflatoxin after growth of Aspergillus in some parts of a field - it is difficult to predict where as Aspergillus tends to infect crops that have become stressed, often by drought and/or insect damage.
Contamination is detected in most parts ofGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-17044781398706623982011-10-31T16:02:00.000Z2011-10-31T16:04:07.053ZNewsbite: Lewis Successfully Completes his Himalayan Challenge for the Fungal Research Trust
Aaron McKevitt and Lewis Fraser successfully completed their 100mile, 12 000 feet of climbing challenge on behalf of the Steph Smith Appeal for the Fungal Research Trust well within the 5 days required. That is the equovalent of running 4 marathons one after the other while at the same time climbing Ben Nevis ( the highest peak in Britain) nearly 3 times - and all of this starting at 6000ft of Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-89737962578661443162011-10-27T10:44:00.007+01:002011-10-27T11:23:21.921+01:00Concentration of antifungal agents within host cell membranes Posaconazole has been used successfully for preventing invasive fungal infections in at risk patients, despite it giving relatively low serum concentrations. However, high tissue levels of this agent have been reported in treated patients.A recent study has tested the theory that it is the intracellular levels of posaconazole which are important for determining the success of this Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-19488245713743265272011-10-21T18:19:00.003+01:002011-10-21T19:40:36.601+01:00Marine Aspergillus species produce substances which can protect liver cells from alcohol damage A number of Aspergillus species produce substances of great commercial use to mankind. For example A. niger is used to produce citric acid and A. oryzae and A. sojae are used to make miso and soya sauce.It now seems that some aspergillus species also may produce substances which can protect the liver from alcohol related damage as reported by Xian et al .Alcohol is metabolised in the liver but Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-84083635873630105912011-10-18T15:06:00.005+01:002011-10-18T15:09:02.577+01:00Newsbite: Lewis & Aaron begin their Himalayan Challenge
Tue 18th Oct (Race Day 1) 24 miles
We depart Mikik at 0530!! A 1.5 hour drive will take us to the start of the race at 6600ft. The race starts at 0730, after a Tibetan ceremony blessing all participants. We will run 24 miles to Sandakphu (11815ft). Sleeping arrangements for the run are sleeping bags and we will be staying in bungalows with no hot water for two nights. The temperatures are Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-34054108853053198222011-10-14T13:25:00.001+01:002011-10-14T13:26:00.395+01:00The Mysteries of Sake Brewing with AspergillusWhat makes the Japanese alcoholic drink different to alcoholic drinks traditionally brewed in the west? What makes the taste of Sake distinctive? Why do different makes of Sake taste different? The answer to all of these questions is Aspergillus oryzae.
Malted barley
Brewing in the west is usually begun by the breakdown of the complex carbohydrates (starch) in grain using the natural Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-10892307452959387692011-10-12T13:47:00.000+01:002011-10-14T13:49:22.757+01:00Newsbite: Aspergillus Infections of the Immunocompetant Host165 Aspergillus spp. isolates were detected in the respiratory cultures of 139 patients. Of these patients, 62 (45%) were colonized with Aspergillus spp. and displayed no clinical symptoms of aspergillosis, while 77 (55%) had a form of pulmonary aspergillosis, characterized as either chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis (CNPA) (48%), aspergilloma (29%), IPA (13%), or allergic Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-34403183633100379642011-10-07T12:20:00.001+01:002011-10-18T15:07:46.942+01:00Running to the Top of the World for Aspergillosis Research
On the 18th October 2011 Lewis Fraser and his friend Aaron McKevitt are taking on one of the most difficult challenges possible in order to raise money for the Fungal Research Trust, a major contributor to UK research into aspergillosis.
They are going to attempt to run 100 miles over 5 days which in itself is an extremely tough challenge, however Lewis & Aaron are doing this in the Himalayan Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-2860716801810814672011-10-04T09:46:00.000+01:002011-10-07T10:48:48.581+01:00Newsbite: National Aspergillosis Centre Patients Support Meeting Shortlisted for National Award
Patient nursing & support staff at the National Aspergillosis Centre, Manchester, UK have been shortlisted for a Nursing Times award for their 'Actual and virtual' patients support meetings that happen once per month. Extensive efforts to put patients first means that monthly meetings are held to provide advice, information and mutual support as well as encourage patients involvement in their Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-31774862006804657312011-09-30T08:35:00.000+01:002011-10-01T08:37:09.219+01:00NewsBite: Combination Antifungal Drug Trial DisappointsReuters article: Pharmaceutical company Pfizer's trial featured two of their antifungal drugs given together to treat invasive aspergillosis. Vfend (voriconazole) and Eraxis (anidulafungin) given together appeared to show some improvement over using Vfend alone but the data was not statistically significant in the final analysis.
more...Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-74713841765055874422011-09-26T11:18:00.014+01:002011-09-26T12:16:25.462+01:00Breath testing for 2-pentylfuran as a diagnostic test for pulmonary aspergillosis- an update Breath testing methods to diagnose pulmonary aspergillosis is attractive because of the proximity of the infection (lung) and simplicity of obtaining samples for treatment. The detection of volatile organic compounds in the breath has been reported previously and 2-pentylfuran was isolated as a potential marker for aspergillus infections (link), also this compound is not produced by normal Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-24594891187685476402011-09-22T12:29:00.005+01:002011-09-22T12:48:19.306+01:00Newsbite: New species in Aspergillus section TerreiThree new species have been described in the section Aspergillus terrei. These have been identified by sequence analysis of parts of the beta-tubulin and calmodulin genes and the ITS region. The identification of hepatotoxic and neurotoxic metabolites are identified amongst many other metabolites produced by this species. moreWebsite Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-23524613924267265022011-09-16T13:43:00.000+01:002011-09-16T13:44:06.042+01:00NewsBite: Ochratoxin detected in 20% of Chronic Rhinosinusitis patientsResearchers in the New York University School of Medicine checked 18 patients for a range of mycotoxins. All specimens were negative for aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone,
and fumonisin. Four (22%) of 18 specimens were
positive for ochratoxin. The clinical significance of this finding
remains
to be determined.
more... Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-89654599921090105922011-09-15T18:19:00.002+01:002011-09-15T18:21:34.666+01:00Advance in Prevention of Medical Implant Infections
Medical implants such as heart valves and catheters commonly fail because of fungal infections of the implant which form a biofilm - a thin viscous layer that forms on the surfaces of the device which resists the absorption of antifungal drugs and therefore effectively protects fungi growing within the film.
This is a major cause of failure of these devices and often require the surgical Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-33280552578988433632011-09-09T16:12:00.003+01:002011-09-09T16:24:28.529+01:00Hurricane Irene causes Explosion in Mould CountsHurricanes are of course associated with high winds and a lot of rain and flooding. Measurements of airborne mould levels in the outside air before and after Irene struck show mold at 100-fold normal levels, peaking at up to 10 000 spores per cubic metre.
The air indoors is also vulnerable to increases in mould as the hurricane pushes humidity levels up and of course causes physical damage Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-60142572580828947502011-09-01T14:58:00.010+01:002011-09-01T15:59:12.857+01:00Pandemic influenza A and development of aspergillosis in immunocompromised patientsA report has highlighted the need for awareness of the possibility of developing invasive aspergillosis in severely immunocompromised patients, following hospitalisation due to infection with pandemic influenza A strain.In 2010 the new strain of influenza - H1N1 resulted in a pandemic, with acute respiratory infection and a high mortality.
This report identifies 5 out of 57 patients who were Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-81243565183477198112011-08-29T12:56:00.004+01:002011-09-16T13:43:21.712+01:00NewsBite: Molecular mechanism of Aspergillus fumigatus adherence to host constituents
Inhaled conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus rapidly adhere to pulmonary epithelial cells and other host constituents. Identifying molecular mechanisms underlying A. fumigatus adherence has therefore been the focus of a number of studies aimed at identifying novel therapeutic targets.
Recent advances have suggested an important role for fungal carbohydrate components of the cell wall and Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-71371314766046079282011-08-24T14:26:00.015+01:002011-08-24T16:08:18.565+01:00Assessment of exposure to harmful mycotoxins through breast milk in Egyptian babies Aspergillus species cause health problems in humans and animals by direct colonisation through the lungs, but can also cause harm through the production of substances called mycotoxins. These can contaminate crops and grain when food is not dried and stored correctly.
If contaminated grain is eaten over longer periods of time -then the aspergillus mycotoxins can cause cancers, they are highly Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-60276144563873145082011-08-12T12:28:00.000+01:002011-08-12T12:28:24.439+01:00Yeast as a Universal Antifungal Vaccine?We mentioned a few weeks ago that a research group in the US was working on a vaccine to help prevent aspergillosis. This is an alternative to attempts to identify and isolate specific antigens on the Aspergillus fungus which might form a viable basis for a vaccine that specifically prevents infection by Aspergillus. Developing specific vaccines is a long process and although they are very Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-56356347241453601652011-08-10T12:41:00.000+01:002011-08-12T12:43:03.256+01:00NewsBite: Immobilization of Aspergillus oryzae β galactosidase on nanoparticlesA demonstration of the immobilization of Aspergillus oryzae β galactosidase on native zinc oxide (ZnO) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) by simple adsorption mechanism. Useful for a wide variety of applications in constructing enzyme-based analytical devices for clinical, environmental and food technology (biosensors).
more... Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-22640159353485346902011-08-05T17:01:00.002+01:002011-08-05T17:03:56.463+01:00Collaborative Cross Mice and Mapping Susceptibility to Aspergillus fumigatusThe ability of a pathogen to infect one of its hosts involves complex interactions between the two parties. The host organism can bear genetic propensities to be resistant or susceptible to the infection and this can take many different forms, some known and some not. Unfortunately in natural populations each individual differs from other individual - this is the primary mechanism that protects Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-82309692258174574202011-08-01T11:46:00.000+01:002011-08-01T11:46:36.792+01:00NewsBite: New Rapid Diagnostic Technique Successful in TestsIn diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis speed is essential so that appropriate treatment can begin with minimal delay. In this paper a new pan-Aspergillus rapid PCR test passed its first assessments with flying colours and is a step closer to being validated for clinical use.
more...Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-47751353230242343662011-07-29T16:47:00.003+01:002011-07-29T16:52:28.512+01:00Growth of Fungi: Time Lapse VideoThough not all Aspergillus fungi, this excellent video shows clearly the many growth phases of filamentous fungi on laboratory media going from initial growth to sporulation (0:53). Then the culture becomes infected by insects for a while (3:23) and ultimately the fungus dies.
Shot by someone we only know as 'Nick' it is also worth listening to the accompanying music!
We can get some idea of theGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-956373955597392052011-07-26T10:51:00.002+01:002011-07-27T08:47:30.856+01:00Research to Prevent Mucus Overproduction in Airways in Aspergillosis - a new clue
Excessive mucin production is a major debilitating feature of allergic bronchopulmonary mycoses such as ABPA. The mucin characteristically causes major blockages of bronchial airways and is very difficult to remove and is tends to be very sticky and clinging in nature. Mucin production is an important part of the mechanisms that protect our airways as it can bind to harmful microorganisms and Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-34754920504576045672011-07-22T13:14:00.000+01:002011-07-22T13:14:10.819+01:00NewsBite: Aspergillus sojae Genome SequencedThe complete genome of Aspergillus sojae has been published. Sequence was compared to that of Aspergillus oryzae (another species widely used for fermentation to prepare food - Soy sauce in this case) and genetic similarities noted alongside functional similarities in the hope of understanding differences between these strains and other sequenced Aspergillus species.
more...Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-75047313030507127762011-07-20T16:49:00.000+01:002011-07-20T16:49:38.217+01:00Lung Regeneration to Cure Chronic Lung Disease - Getting Closer to Science Fact not FictionStriking new research published over the last couple of months gives hope to everyone with chronic lung disease. The world's media recently covered the story of a synthetic windpipe made using stem cells from the recipient seeded into an artificial framework which then grew to form a complete replacement organ.The key to growing new organs is the isolation of stem cells. These are elusive and Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-19125317784508598552011-07-15T15:39:00.001+01:002011-07-15T15:41:19.373+01:00NewsBites: Confocal Laser Scanning used to Quantify Host/Fungus InteractionScientists in Switzerland have devised a method to automatically count the numbers of fungal conidia being engulfed by our immune system (macrophages). Aspergillus fumigatus mutants were analysed for ability to evade capture and thus continue to infect the host. Mutant pksP was particularly adept at avoiding capture and this technique also revealed other changes in how its conidia behaved when Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-91034101626980253822011-07-12T14:53:00.000+01:002011-07-12T12:50:50.124+01:00A vaccine for aspergillosis?Successful vaccines have been created to protect against pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Why aren't there any for combating fungal infections? A recent article in The Scientist by Brad Spellberg discusses the possibilities."Invasive fungal diseases often take hold when a person’s natural defenses are weakened. These infections frequently occur in hospital settings, after a patient’s normal Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-32537498234317969872011-07-07T15:52:00.000+01:002011-07-07T15:52:52.170+01:00NewsBites: Accurate Identification of Aspergillus Species using Rapid Laser TechnologyTraditional identification of Aspergillus species relies upon skilled eyes scanning microscope slides and is prone to error. The authors of this paper utilise MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to develope a reference spectra which achieves 100% accuracy distinguishing 28 clinically relevant species.
more...Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-2987290784638835112011-07-05T16:27:00.002+01:002011-07-05T16:28:12.654+01:0015 minute Genome to Help Prevent AspergillosisThe human genome was sequenced several years ago (2001) with a final 'fine detail' version finished a few years later (2004) after a monumental international effort taking 10-15 years in all.
Analysis tells us many of the 'physical' features of the genome, not least telling us how many genes there are (expressed and non-expressed), where they are, whether they are likely to be expressed and Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-73570276420898157372011-07-01T15:11:00.000+01:002011-07-01T15:11:13.559+01:00NewsBites: Aspergillus tubingensis Helps Cleans Up Fly Ash PollutionBabu et. al. find that treating toxic ash from combustion of coal with a combination of Aspergillus tubingensis and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi reduces the toxicity of the ash and enhances its ability to support plant growth, enhancing nutrient uptake and reducing metal translocation.
more...Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-56776406321962817742011-06-29T17:36:00.001+01:002011-06-29T17:37:05.687+01:00NewsBites: Aspergillus Oryzae Complete Sequence PublishedThe latest complete genome sequence of an Aspergillus species has been published in the genome databank Genbank.
Aspergillus oryzae is mainly known as a species that has been used by the food industry in the East for many hundreds of years (Soy sauce, koji, sake), but is also occasionally a human pathogen. The availability of this latest sequence is in addition to a different strain of the same Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-43046606394972673502011-06-28T15:23:00.003+01:002011-06-28T15:26:25.138+01:00Ten per cent of Patients taking Triazoles for Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis suffer from neuropathyThe National Aspergillosis Centre treats chronic fungal infections using antifungal drugs, often as a means to reduce the dose of steroids necessary to maintain good breathing. The main drugs used are the triazoles - in order of historic availability: itraconazole, voriconazole and more recently posaconazole which have many advantages over their predecessor, amphotericin B and its derivatives.
Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-29128347837926895412011-06-27T15:31:00.000+01:002011-06-27T15:31:56.817+01:00NewsBites: What makes Aspergillus fumigatus such a good pathogen?Aspergillus fumigatus is usually described as requiring good levels of oxygen to support growth. However when growing as a pathogen in a human body there are poor levels of available oxygen - hypoxic conditions.
A recent report in the Journal of Proteome Research, "The mold Aspergillus fumigatus is the most important airborne fungal pathogen. Adaptation to hypoxia represents an important Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-14604012953994634672011-06-24T12:54:00.001+01:002011-06-24T12:55:24.727+01:00TV Soap Star Struck Down by AspergillosisBBC Scotland TV soap actor Frank Gallagher (not the character with the same name in the Channel 4 series Shameless) has been treated for aspergillosis. Frank played the 'hardman' Lenny Murdock in the series and was suddenly struck down with severe respiratory difficulties which did not respond to antibiotics.
Antibiotics would successfully treat the normal cause of these symptoms (bacteria) butGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-62653796635369284812011-06-23T14:48:00.002+01:002011-06-23T14:52:17.266+01:00Worlds First Double Lung Transplant for Chronic Pulmonary AspergillosisBecky Jones has Cystic Fibrosis (CF) which in common with many other people who live with CF makes her lungs vulnerable to infection. Aspergillosis is a common infection for this group of people (up to 11% of people with CF get aspergillosis), usually in the form of ABPA but this occasionally progresses to the more aggressive forms of aspergillosis such as Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis.
No Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-58189931497560242802011-06-16T14:08:00.000+01:002011-06-16T14:08:28.351+01:00Aspergillus as Beautiful Art Pieces
Aspergillus flavus by Fiona Hepburn
Fiona Hepburn's work (currently being exhibited by Hemingway) is strongly anatomical. She recreates extraordinary detailed pieces featuring fungi, lichen and marine and terrestrial plants, all of which are made from cut-worked paper.
Aspergillus fumigatus by Fiona Hepburn
In Aspergillus Fumigatus Fungus I (le) as in other pieces she works in exquisite Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-72670999502136848532011-06-15T13:40:00.000+01:002011-06-15T13:40:57.489+01:00NewsBites: Easy to Mistake Bipolaris Infection for AspergillosisVeterinary Pathology journal reports:
a case of Bipolaris infection in a dog with granulomatous meningoencephalitis, nephritis, and vasculitis. The clinical and histological features resembled those of the more common aspergillosis, thus warranting confirmation by molecular methods.more... Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-82132504123695887562011-06-14T12:00:00.001+01:002011-06-14T12:02:13.527+01:00NewsBites: Endotoxin Impairs Excretion of Antifungal Drug, MicafunginExperiments reported in the Journal of infection and chemotherapy show that endotoxin reduces the excretion of micafungin (commonly used to treat aspergillosis and other fungal infections). The authors suggest this information could be useful when treating endotoxemia, reducing the need for dose adjustments.
more...Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-28431186412154547912011-06-10T10:51:00.000+01:002011-06-10T10:51:53.822+01:00NewsBites: An Attempt to Distinguish Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis (IPA) and Pulmonary Lymphoma (PL)Scientists in Basel, Switzerland have attempted to find reliable criteria to distinguish invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and pulmonary lymphoma (PL) using CT scanning techniques due to the high level of detail offered by this technique.
The attempt concluded that CT could only be suggestive for either IPA or PL, it was not possible to distinguish between these two conditions using CT Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-38290029714685404842011-06-09T09:47:00.001+01:002011-06-09T09:48:25.888+01:00NewsBites: Patients' Mobiles Phones carry Aspergillus & Other PathogensA recent study in the American Journal of Infection Control (abstract) and covered in some detail by The Times of India examines the fungal and bacterial contamination found on the mobile phones of doctors and their patients. Potentially a route of infection, mobile phones of doctors were found to be contaminated in an earlier study (opening up the possibility that doctors may need to pay more Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-55458756425214833842011-06-08T20:32:00.006+01:002011-06-08T20:45:19.213+01:00NewsBites: Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis increasingly associated with Hepatitis B infectionNewsRx website reports:
"Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) has been increasingly frequent in severe liver disease. We aim to investigate the clinical presentation, predisposing factors, and treatment of IPA in patients with liver failure caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection scientists in Shijiazhuang, People's Republic of China report." "Medical records from 798 patients with Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-60484710677664587852011-06-07T11:58:00.002+01:002011-06-09T09:29:02.630+01:00NewsBites: Peking University devises Rapid Test for Fungi in SinusitisNewsRx website reports:
"According to recent research from Beijing, People's Republic of China, "Rapid detection and differentiation of Aspergillus and Mucorales species in fungal rhinosinusitis diagnosis are desirable, since the clinical management and prognosis associated with the two taxa are fundamentally different. We describe an assay based on a combination of broad-range PCR amplification Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-1968428352731994642011-06-06T21:47:00.003+01:002011-06-07T11:40:37.691+01:00Aspergillus niger provides clues to help solve our future energy crisisMotorists will be very aware that the price of petrol and diesel fuels are rising ever faster as supply fails to meet demand throughout the world. Some of this shortage is due to political troubles in oil producing parts of the world and some due to ever increasing demand in parts of the world that are formerly low consumers of energy per head of population eg China & India. See also this graph Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-85959246429971604092011-05-31T14:23:00.014+01:002011-05-31T17:15:16.274+01:00Progress towards a breath test for invasive Aspergillus fumigatus infections The idea of a breath test is not novel - it is widely used to detect expired ethanol in many western countries as a drink driving test. As a tool in the diagnosis of respiratory infections it is well known that Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Strepotococcus milleri have distinctive odours associated with these pathogens, due to their production of volatile compounds.A breath test to diagnose Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-12892468681352355632011-05-23T13:18:00.005+01:002011-05-23T13:22:26.492+01:00New Respiratory Disease in US Soldiers Returning from Iraq and AfghanistanThe American Thoracic Society (ATS) is one of the most important bodies working towards better diagnosis and treatment of all diseases relating to the lungs.
This week they have released the following statement about a meeting that will take place on Wednesday 25th May 2011 at the annual scientific conference run by the ATS: ATS 2011
"We've described a new disease called Iraq-Afghanistan War Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-16130278645386466002011-05-20T12:44:00.004+01:002011-05-20T12:53:06.191+01:00Extracts of Asparagus Show Antifungal Activity Against Aspergillus Fumigatus
Asphodelus tenuifolius
Panghal and colleagues show in a new research paper that it is possible to extract crude compounds from a common weed of the Middle East (Asphodelus tenuifolius) and asparagus (A. racemosus) that will inhibit growth of a clinical sample of Aspergillus fumigatus in the laboratory.
The extraction must be carried out using organic solvents e.g. benzene, chloroform Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-62685247425182928982011-05-14T15:03:00.006+01:002011-06-21T12:24:40.926+01:00Airman's supreme challenge after tragic death of Steph By Hector MackenzieThis article taken directly from the Ross-shire Journal with thanks in support of the Fungal Research Trust Appeal:
A ROSS-shire man robbed of the love of his life by a mystery infection is set to take on an astonishing feat of endurance in her memory.
Big-hearted pupils at two local schools this week lent a helping hand as Invergordon man Lewis Fraser geared up for the challenge of a lifetime.Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-31536570226046462262011-05-06T11:27:00.002+01:002011-05-06T15:21:59.691+01:00Advances in the Detection of Aspergillus Developing Drug ResistanceResearchers here at the University of Manchester and the National Aspergillosis Centre have developed a sophisticated method of identifying strains of Aspergillus that are likely to be resistant to many of the antifungal drugs currently available.
Traditionally testing is done by growing samples of the isolates under test and then treating them with ever increasing doses of antifungal - there is Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-46827604933862383372011-04-27T10:50:00.014+01:002011-04-27T12:57:04.750+01:00Pulmonary aspergillosis: an alternative diagnosis to lung cancer after a positive PET scan. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans are used in the clinic to assist with diagnosis and staging in lung cancer. False positive scans can arise due to inflammation and infections. The clinical features of pulmonary aspergillosis may include single or multiple nodules and possible cavities which resembles those of lung cancer.A recent publication (Baxter et al 2011) investigating 10 cases of Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-33661332717239585262011-04-19T10:33:00.002+01:002011-04-19T10:36:38.452+01:00Science, Engineering & Technology Student of the Year Awards 2011The SET awards are a series of awards for those already carrying out research, teaching or who are a student in any university across Europe or the USA. Running since 1998 they have recently been re-launched. They are sponsored by a series of major companies and judged by a collection of high quality panels taken from most of the major professional institutions in each field including the Royal Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-19980109275844768192011-04-18T18:08:00.000+01:002011-04-18T18:08:27.227+01:00BEI extend their services to include AspergillusOne of the main ways in which the result of a piece of research can be checked is for a second group to repeat the experiment and test if it gets the same result as the first group. If the same result is observed then we can be more confident that the result is true, but what if the result is different? Is it a bad result? What do we do now? - repeat the whole experiment again, potentially takingGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-55485636043582751172011-04-13T11:45:00.002+01:002011-04-13T11:52:35.970+01:005th Advances Against Aspergillosis Conference - January 2012Aspergillosis presents us with many problems in our efforts to improve diagnosis and treatment, not the least being to raise awareness amongst doctors, nurses and scientists around the world of the many illnesses caused by the fungus Aspergillus.
Many cases are still diagnosed late as the symptoms of some forms of aspergillosis so closely resemble those of other, much more common infections and Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-3596843217970753912011-04-08T12:35:00.001+01:002011-04-19T09:59:03.280+01:00"You've never had it so good" - Public Satisfaction With The NHS is at All Time HighThe health service in Britain has long been run with the principle in mind 'Free at the point of delivery, providing according to need rather than ability to pay'. The National Health Service is paid for by all taxpayers in the UK for the benefit of all UK citizens.
Over the years since its launch the NHS has been criticised frequently for poor facilities, poor management, lack of investment, Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-57594749747852176082011-03-31T11:33:00.000+01:002011-03-31T11:33:47.258+01:00Working from the Ground Up - Genome ResearchBack in the 1980's DNA sequencing was carried out 250 base pairs at a time, often a 3-4 day process. The DNA in even a simple species (i.e. its genome) such as Escherichia coli contains around 5 million base pairs, so you can imagine how long it would take to read the entire genome. The genome size of much larger organisms such as ourselves are a thousand times larger!
Such is the importance of Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-19309296389750078582011-03-23T14:32:00.006Z2011-04-22T09:14:44.956+01:00Presence of Mould Species Correlate with Presence of AsthmaLast week we featured a paper that appeared to demonstrate that the presence of some moulds at a very early age correlated with the lowering of the susceptibility of children to asthma in later life. The authors postulated a 'protective effect' caused by the triggering and presumably modulation of infection response pathways involved in atopy and asthma.
In that paper the 'mouldiness' of the Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-6345626801778294752011-03-18T16:02:00.003Z2011-03-18T16:06:06.718ZChildhood Exposure to Aspergillus Protects Against AsthmaA recent paper published in the highly prestigious journal 'The New England Journal of Medicine' looked at the breadth of exposure to microbes of children who grow up in rural homes and their frequency of developing asthma.
The rational goes as follows: the rural & farming environment exposes children to a far wider range of microbes compared with children in a city environment so we should be Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-31701601776279032972011-03-11T11:55:00.000Z2011-03-11T11:55:26.261ZNew Treatment for Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD)Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) is a genetically inherited severe immune deficiency that effects one in 200 000 people per year worldwide. Its sufferers have a reduced ability to fight off infection and because of the inherited nature of the disorder and the severity of the consequences many die at a young age. This is predominantly an illness that effects children and young people.
Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-58092467301004100302011-03-04T17:34:00.001Z2011-03-04T17:34:40.692ZSecondary Prophylaxis with Antifungals for Leukemia Patients - recommended or not?
A recent study looked at how well patients suffering from acute leukemia recovered after they had contracted an invasive fungal infection - something that affects 5-15% of all acute myeloid leukemia patients. Those that get a fungal infection often have to have their chemotherapy delayed while the infection is treated as chemotherapy can reduce the abilty of the patient to fight the fungus, Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-52028339329922434142011-02-23T15:00:00.001Z2011-02-23T15:01:24.034ZVoriconazole therapy and flouride toxicityPatients who are in receipt of a transplant are known to be vulnerable to infection by Aspergillus as part of their post operative regimen includes immune-suppressive drugs to combat rejection of the transplanted organ. Suppression of the immune system to prevent rejection also leaves the patients more vulnerable to infections of all kinds, some of the most difficult to treat infections are Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-91333851801777834882011-02-15T14:01:00.004Z2011-02-16T14:29:37.762ZLong term marijuana smoking - a link to chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA)? Marijuana (cannabis) is the most frequently used illicit substance in many western countries - although it is a class B drug. A link between schizophrenia and cannabis use is well known - but effects on the lung and possible cancer are complicated by the fact that smoking of tobacco alone can cause cancer.Both tobacco and marijuana are commonly contaminated with fungi and aspergillus - Website Team Jennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01004278350588132530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-713934012224075912011-02-08T12:18:00.003Z2011-02-08T14:13:28.018ZThe Effects of Indoor Mould on Asthma - Time to Act!A comprehensive new review on childhood asthma thoroughly assesses the current understanding of the effect of multiple potential indoor causes of childhood asthma.
As preventative measures the following three actions were investigated:
Avoiding or reducing the source of an indoor factor that might have adverse effects on the onset of asthma
Reducing the concentration of, or diluting, the indoor Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-377952902346411822011-01-31T14:17:00.001Z2011-01-31T14:18:14.450ZAspergillus fumigatus Causing Breathlessness in MumbaiRecent weather conditions and smog in Mumbai, India (the location for the recent hit film Slumdog Millionaire) have triggered a wave of reports of people suffering breathing problems. Authorities blame the prevailing weather conditions which have been cool but humid (ideal for fungal growth) combined with record levels of particulates (dust, soot, spores etc.) over the last 5 days.
Mumbai, Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-67010574544832474452011-01-26T13:38:00.007Z2011-01-26T13:53:25.749ZTop Fungal Disease Experts Meet in Texas, USAA fine-tuned immune response to fungal infection is critical, as either insufficient or exaggerated responses compromise each person’s ability to fight fungal infection and not develop fungal allergy.Last week saw a gathering of the world’s top immunologists (experts in the immune system) in the fungal disease field in Galveston, Texas to share and challenge the latest data on how the immune Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-75355174917915415722011-01-25T11:57:00.002Z2011-01-25T12:19:07.762ZClamping Down on Mycotoxin Levels in Chinese MedicationsAuthorities in Hong Kong have started a major offensive against the sale of unregistered traditional 'Chinese' medications. Registration of all such medications is a requirement of law in China since the 3rd of December 2011, the intention of which is at least partly to be able to improve standards of production of these medications.
Many of these medications are derived from plant or animal Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-16547091442248899942011-01-20T16:18:00.001Z2011-01-20T16:18:30.118ZKeep wild bird feeders cleanMany people like to put our feeders for wild birds, particularly during the worse winter months when birds are more likely to come into gardens searching for food as it is scarce in the wild - when snow is lying on the ground or when most water is frozen.
Many people will repeatedly refill feeders as it is used up, often before the feeder is empty, leaving a portion of the food at the bottom of Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-15828657624945506632011-01-10T14:48:00.005Z2011-01-10T15:13:59.935Z6 out of 10 Severe Asthmatics have Aspergillus in their LungsOver the last 30 years evidence has been accumulating that many people who develop severe asthma also show evidence of a fungus in their lungs - specifically Aspergillus fumigatus.
Many readers of this blog will be familiar with Aspergillus fumigatus as the fungal species that can cause severe invasive infections amongst immunocompromised people, but in people with apparently perfectly healthy Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-14150714937894904822011-01-05T08:58:00.001Z2011-01-05T09:51:39.823ZFirst Catastrophic Flooding, then Biblical 'Pestilence' (mould)
Severe flooding in Bundaberg, Australia
The recent horrific events in Queensland, Australia show how whole communities can be severely effected by flooding - in this case the area effected is larger than Britain & Germany combined! Many buildings have been swept away but many more have stood up to the force of water and will remain once the floodwater recedes.
The immediate problems are of Graham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183331378780828181.post-37217574987580887642010-12-20T14:19:00.005Z2010-12-20T14:31:16.707ZAre We Going to Run Out of Antibiotics??Antibiotics have been the mainstay of treatment for bacterial infections for 60 years, a time before which it was routine to have to have a hospital stay to treat a bacterial infection. We have several generations of patients and doctors who have grown up assuming that bacterial infections are trivial as there will always be a cheap, safe, accessible packet of capsules that cause few side effectsGraham Athertonhttps://profiles.google.com/107067011136173586121noreply@blogger.com0