< Back to previous page

Project

Assessment of the impact of emerging azole resistance mechanisms on treatment response of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis using non-invasive imaging in experimental Aspergillus infection models.

Aspergillosis describes a group of infectious diseases caused by the fungus Aspergillus. People daily come in contact with this fungus by inhaling hundreds of spores, but mainly immunocompromised patients are at risk for developing invasive aspergillosis. This is a potential life-threatening situation, associated with high morbidity and mortality. Azoles are essential in the prevention and treatment of aspergillosis, but the number of azole resistant Aspergillus strains is increasing in Europe. A correct estimation of the prevalence of azole resistance is currently unavailable because clinical Aspergillus isolates are not yet systematically tested for azole resistance. Therefore, we will investigate the epidemiology of azole resistance in Belgium by conducting a surveillance study. Preclinical research plays an essential role in gaining insight in the pathogenesis of Aspergillus infections. However, standard techniques used to evaluate infection in small animals are limited by their invasiveness. As an non-invasive alternative, we aim to develop a multimodal imaging approach to investigate the dynamic pathogenesis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and hostpathogen interactions in live, individual animals, without the need to sacrifice numerous animals. We will validate this imaging compatible mouse model for its use in the investigation of the response to antifungal therapy.

Date:1 Jan 2015 →  31 Dec 2018
Keywords:Aspergillus-infectiemodellen
Disciplines:Laboratory medicine, Palliative care and end-of-life care, Regenerative medicine, Other basic sciences, Other health sciences, Nursing, Other paramedical sciences, Other translational sciences, Other medical and health sciences