Endotoxin and (1-3)-β-D-glucan contamination in electronic cigarette products sold in the United States (Lee et al., 2019)
Cigarette smoke contains microbes and microbial toxins, such as endotoxin and (1→3)-β-D-glucan, that may have adverse respiratory effects. To assess whether the same is true for e-cigarettes, the authors of this paper studied endotoxin and glucan levels from 37 cartridges and 38 e-liquid products from the top 10 bestselling brands in the US. They found that electronic cigarette products may be contaminated with microbial toxins. Endotoxin concentrations were over the limit of detection (LOD) in 23% of products tested, and glucan concentrations were greater than LOD in 81%.
This paper received a great deal of attention from the press and some associated articles are available below:
Proteomic characterization of Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from air and surfaces of the International Space Station (Blachowicz et al, 2019).
In this interesting paper the effects of the environment of the International Space Station (ISS) on microorganisms is investigated. The paper describes how low-nutrient availability, enhanced irradiation and microgravity may trigger changes in the molecular suite of microorganisms leading to increased virulence and resistance of microbes. Proteomic characterization of two Aspergillus fumigatus strains, ISSFT-021 and IF1SW-F4, isolated from HEPA filter debris and cupola surface of the ISS, respectively, is presented, along with a comparison to well-studied clinical isolates Af293 and CEA10. Proteins that showed increased abundance in ISS isolates were overall involved in stress responses, and carbohydrate and secondary metabolism.
Aspergillus terreus (Trichocomaceae): A natural, eco-friendly mycoinsecticide for control of malaria, filariasis, dengue vectors and its toxicity assessment against an aquatic model organism Artemia nauplii. (Ragavendran et al., 2018)
Vector-borne diseases like malaria, filariasis, and dengue are transmitted by mosquitoes and they cause global mortality and morbidity. This paper investigates Aspergillus terreus mycelia extract on different stages of mosquitoes such as egg, larvae, pupa, and adults in a variety of mosquito species. A. terreus extract exhibited strong neurobehavioral toxicity, knock-down effect (inability to fly or walk in a coordinated manner), ovicidal and adulticidal effect on Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes aegypti in a dose and time-dependent manner. The authors conclude that ethyl acetate extract of A. terreus contains promising mosquito control compounds and are working on isolating and identifying the bioactive constituents.
High airborne level of Aspergillus fumigatus and presence of azole-resistant TR34/L98H isolates in the home of a cystic fibrosis patient harbouring chronic colonisation with azole-resistant H285Y A. fumigatus. (Paluch et al., 2019).
This paper reports on the presence of an azole resistant A. fumigatus isolate in the home of an 18 year old cystic fibrosis patient who is chronically colonised with an H285Y CYP51A azole-resistant isolate. Whilst high levels of contamination were found, the environmental contaminating strain could not be found in the patient. The paper discusses the possible reasons for this and underlines the value of an environmental assessment to establish preventative measures and limit the risk of A. fumigatus exposure and subsequent azole-resistant A. fumigatus acquisition.
Targeting Aspergillus fumigatus Crf transglycosylases with neutralizing antibody is relevant but not sufficient to erase fungal burden in a neutropenic rat model. (Chauvin et al., 2019).
This study highlights the potential relevance of targeting chitin ring formation (CRF) cell wall protein (CWP) with therapeutic antibodies. To address the problem of antifungal toxicity, which is a particular problem for cystic fibrosis patients, the authors investigated the potential of CRF cell wall transglycosylases of A. fumigatus as targets for therapeutic antibodies as an alternative to conventional drugs. Anti-Crf antibodies neutralized the enzymatic activity of recombinant Crf protein, and delayed fungal growth by 12.3% in vitro when added to spores. In vivo, anti-Crf antibodies elicited a significant recruitment of neutrophils, macrophages and T CD4 lymphocytes but this was not correlated with a decrease of fungal burden in lungs and improvement in survival.
Baseline Chest Computed Tomography for Early Diagnosis of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Hemato-oncological Patients- a Prospective Cohort Study. (Bitterman et al., 2019).
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) has dire consequences in hemato-oncological patients. This paper reports the authors’ experience with performing routine baseline chest computed tomography (CT) for early diagnosis of IPA. High rates of proven or probable IPA diagnosed on admission among patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were observed. This suggests that screening patients with newly diagnosed AML using a chest CT promotes early diagnosis of IPA and early initiation of targeted therapy.
