Mold fungus causes about 200,000 deaths each year

New research results in the fight against mold infections

International research team finds in a study new therapeutic approaches against the dangerous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, which annually claims around 200,000 lives and causes millions of lung diseases and allergies. In essence, the researchers found out:

• that the dye in the fungus plays an important role in infection,
• how the immune system of our body reacts to the dye melanin in the fungus,
• how a fungal infection can be detected earlier,
• How evolved its own receptor for the mushroom melanin in the course of evolution.

In collaboration with numerous institutions, scientists led by Professor Gordon Brown of the University of Aberdeen investigated the harmful mold fungus Aspergillus fumigatus and identified a mechanism that could be used to develop novel therapies for fungal infections. The results of the research were recently published in the journal "Nature".

Fungal infections with Aspergillus fumigatus often end in people with weakened immune systems. (Image: Dr_Kateryna / fotolia.com)

The killer fungus Aspergillus fumigatus

Infection with the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most dreaded complications after surgical procedures such as transplantation. More than 50 percent of patients who get infected with this fungus after surgery do not survive the infection. In addition, the fungus causes millions of lung diseases and allergies, such as bronchial asthma.

Why is the fungus so dangerous??

Among other things, the fungus is so dangerous because it is difficult to recognize and treat. When Aspergillus fumigatus gets into the bloodstream, it can infect internal organs and trigger blood poisoning. Especially in people with weak immune systems, this can have fatal consequences. In medical research has long been trying to understand the exact processes in a fungal infection to develop more efficient therapies that involve the body's own defenses.

How does the immune system respond to the intruder??

Contrary to previous assumptions that the immune system primarily recognizes sugar in the cell wall of fungi, the researchers found that an unexpected component of the fungus triggers an immune system reaction. It is the pigment melanin contained in the fungus. This dye combines with a dedicated receptor known as MelLec. A particular variant of the receptor is even associated with an increased susceptibility to infection.

A big step forward

"Understanding how our immune system responds to the intruder is critical to better identifying it in infected people and developing new therapies," said Professor Gordon Brown in a press release on the study findings. The research team has demonstrated that the immune system responds to parts of the fungus that were previously unknown to be detected. While this discovery is a big step forward, it highlights how complex the fight against these fungi is.

German scientists were also involved

Prof. Dr. Axel Brakhage, professor at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and director of the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, is a renowned expert on fungal infections. He discovered in the study the pigment melanin and its importance for the pathogenic effect of the fungus. "It fascinates me that in the course of evolution, a separate receptor for the mushroom melanin has developed," reports Brakhage.

Complex mechanisms

"This indicates that the dye plays an important role in humans in an infection," said the expert. According to the expert, such complex processes as the colonization of humans by fungi and the immune response directed against them can no longer be investigated by a single group or even a scientist alone.

Successful combat only possible across nations

In particular, the study team highlights the good cooperation of the pan-European network of experienced researchers, who have studied the various aspects of fungal infections at the molecular level and have brought together the knowledge gained. "The successful fight against infections is only possible across nations," summed up the mushroom expert. (Vb)