Description:
Every day we inhale hundreds of fungal spores but these in healthy individuals are efficiently eliminated by specialist immune cells called phagocytes which engulf and kill them. However, some human illnesses interfere with this defence mechanism, increasing susceptibility to fungal diseases.
A specialist lung tissue called the epithelium is the first line of contact between the inhaled spores and us, the host. We are working to understand how the lung epithelium interacts with the spores of a common mould called Aspergillus fumigatus.
We have generated fluorescent Aspergillus and combined this with fungal and host specific dyes to directly visulaise this interaction. We have discovered that epithelial cells ingest fungal spores and kill them.
This might provide a critical defence mechanism which is acting while we breathe, and before even phagocytes arrive at the site of the infection.
We are now trying to work out how epithelial cells grab and ingest fungal spores, by using fluorescent fungal mutants and targeted elimination of host proteins.
Once we understand this process in detail we can design new therapies to assist a quicker elimination of the dangerous fungal spores we all inhale on a daily basis.
Dr Margherita Bertuzzi works in Dr Elaine Bignell’s lab at the University of Manchester
Medical and Patient education videos
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News article made for the regional BBC TV program North West Tonight during the 7th Advances Against Aspergillosis Meeting in Manchester, UK. March 3rd 2016.
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Dr Ritesh Argawal discusses fungal sinusitis and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) with patients.
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Dr Richard Moss discusses allergic Aspergillosis, Asthma, children affected by Aspergillus + Q & A with patients.
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Darius Armstrong-James discusses a new aspergillosis clinic in the South East + Q & A with patients.
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BBC ran an awareness story during the Advances Against Aspergillosis conference in Manchester, UK about the dangers to our health posed by Aspergillus and some of the most common ways the fungus can grow and multiply in our homes. Ann Saunders and Prof David Denning, Director of the National Aspergillosis Centre helped discuss the issues.
Estimated audience at 7.40am is 1.5 million.
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The international Advances Against Aspergillosis conference came to Manchester this year (2016) and brought together the aspergillosis medical, scientific and patient communities for the first time in two years. Much progress was discussed and reported, awareness reaching 5 million people via UK TV BBC1 during the meeting.
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ERS Vision: Take the Active Option: the benefits of exercise in respiratory medicine
