New Look, Ease of Use and New Editors
We have introduced a completely new front page structure which we hope is easier to use and which should enable users to find what they want more quickly. Early reports suggest that people are finding the new look drop down menus much easier to use.
The images on the front page change to give a more dynamic design feel and we have introduced the search engine onto the front page to make searching the website a 'one click' task. Improvements in the search engine are forthcoming over the next few months.
The library has now been moved to the front page making its contents (which are some of the more frequently used content) more available.
Links for our most frequently used content & headlines for the latest updates are also now moved up to the front page to improve ease and speed of access to our most popular content. We are increasing the frequency and subject matter of update headlines so as to maximise our use of this new facility - for example we now list additions to the Blog in updates. Alternatively you can still keep in touch using RSS as before.
We welcome Professor Malcolm Richardson and Dr Paul Bowyer to our editorial board. Malcolm Richardson has an extensive background in medical mycology and diagnostics with a role in the investigation of the involvement of moulds in 'sick building syndrome'. Paul Bowyer has an extensive background in the biology of allergic or invasive fungal diseases.
Latest News and Articles
 With the impending 4th Advances Against Aspergillosis meeting coming up in Rome, Italy we feature a review of the role of the italian botanist Pier Antonio Micheli (1679-1737) in establishing the use of the microscope in the study of fungi (NB at that time and for many years afterward fungi were thought to be types of plants).
He was the first to observe and describe many of the structures of the fruiting bodies of fungi and established the existence of fungi as distinct organisms - for many he is the father of mycology.
There have been 34 additions to the articles section, 12 of which are reviews. We have picked out a few of the highlights here:
Detection of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis 1 by Lateral Flow Technology
2 Compared to Galactomannan and (1→3)-β-D-Glucan
"We compared a lateral-flow device to galactomannan and (1→3)-β-D-glucan assays to detect invasive aspergillosis in an established guinea pig model of pulmonary disease. The lateral-flow device became positive earlier (day 3) compared to the (1→3)-β-D
glucan and galactomannan assays (day 5), with all samples positive by each assay on day 7."
Diagnostic performance of the (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan assay for invasive fungal disease
"Consideration of BG results would have increased the diagnostic certainty to probable in 54% of possible IFD cases. CONCLUSIONS: BG level appears to be a fair diagnostic adjunct for IFD in patients with appropriate pretest probability and a suggestive clinical syndrome, especially when checked serially in patients not receiving factors associated with an elevated BG level in the absence of IFD."
An EORTC Phase II study of caspofungin as first-line therapy of invasive aspergillosis in haematological patients
Patients with a poor prognosis (75% had cancer not in remission, 85% were neutropenic) were enrolled and a response (complete or partial remission of IA) was recorded in 35%. Crucially underlying disease related factors had a major influence on results.
Clinical significance of decline in serum IgE levels in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
This study argues against the accepted 'rule of thumb' that a 35% fall in IgE after 6 weeks treatment is a criterion for remission. They find that there is a range of IgE decline from patient to patient of 32-45% and that "the magnitude of decline in IgE levels did not predict the
occurrence of clinical outcomes in patient with ABPA" and "only the
extent of bronchiectasis on HRCT predicted relapses and
the failure to undergo complete remission." The authors contend that clinical and radiological signs should also be used to make a judgement about remission.
Donor-derived aspergillosis from use of a solid organ recipient as a multiorgan donor
A recipient of a cardiac graft was used as an organ donor. One recipient lost the graft because of invasive aspergillosis of the transplanted organ. Prompt initiation of antifungal therapy prevented disseminating aspergillosis in other patients. Autopsy of the donor revealed invasive aspergillosis of the brain as the cause of death, whereas the cause of death had initially been recorded as cerebral memorrhage.
Care is recommended when considering donations from patients where the cause of death is not absolutely clear.
Reviews
Health effects of Aspergillus in food and air
 Maren Klich (her own home a victim of the floods in New Orleans in 2005) reviews this controversial and litigeous subject in a simple style suitable for reading by both the professional and informed layperson. Some of the suspected agents for health effects after severe flooding are identified and assessed.
Maren is a microbiologist at the US Department of Agriculture.
Patients
 The Aspergillosis for Patients meeting in Rome (Feb 2010) will now go ahead. This is the first meeting for patients of its kind and we encourage patients to participate in a programme of lectures and discussions. Places are limited so be sure to register as soon as possible. Book your place here
 Christmas Cards
A patient volunteer is making & selling handmade cards for Christmas and birthdays in aid of the Fungal Research Trust. 6 cards for £6 and 75% of that goes to the FRT. Order here.
We are asking for patients to send us any mould-free recipes they may have and recommend so we can make them available to all patients. If you have any send them here and we will upload them to the Aspergillus Support Group.
There is a newly designed Patients website now entitled 'Aspergillosis Patient Support'. Much more comprehensive than before and easier to navigate but with the same successful support group and Q & A board
Jobs
6 jobs currently being advertised: View
- Postdoctoral Research Associate: Hypoxia and Fungal Virulence. Montana State University, MT, USA. Closing date 8th Dec 2009.
- Editor of Thorax. Location not required. Closing date 10th December 2009.
- Thoracic Surgery Clinical Research Fellow. University of Manchester, UK. Closing date 18th December 2009.
- Clinical Research Fellow (Translational Medicine). University of Manchester, UK. Closing date 21st December 2009.
- Locum Position as Staff Specialist in Infectious Diseases. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Closing date 31st December 2009.
- Characterization of fungal allergens associated with severe asthma. University of Manchester, UK. Closing date 14th January 2010.
Advertise your vacancy free of charge on the Aspergillus Website here
Education and Teaching
Several slide presentations from the 47th IDSA meeting in early November have been added to the slides section of educational materials. Additional presentations from the 4th TIMMS meeting can also be viewed.
Conference abstracts
Abstracts (over 500 in all) have been added for the 49th ICAAC (International Conference in Antifungal Agents and Chemotherapy) and the 25th Fungal Genetics Conference as well at the 4th TIMM (Trends in Medical Mycology).
Veterinary
 Treatment of Aspergillus species infection in reptiles with itraconazole at metabolically scaled doses
"This short communication describes the successful treatment of
seven cases of cutaneous and deep subcutaneous aspergillosis infections
with itraconazole at metabolically scaled oral doses specifically
for reptiles."
Historical
Readers can view the book written in french in 1897 by Louis Renon entitled "Étude sur l'Aspergilloses chez les animaux et chez l'homme" (Study of Aspergillosis in animals and humans).
Blog
Identification of new fungal protein "TmpL" which shields A.fumigatus and assists with the infection process.
Merck merge with Schering Plough for $41 billion
Woman beats invasive aspergillosis to get married
Itraconazole: how much is too much?
Donate
 It is now easy to donate to the Fungal Research Trust, a charity who principally fund the Aspergillus Website, run several patient support groups and fund research internationally.
If everyone who receives this newsletter gave £10 a year we could double our activities!
Please donate here.
Technical Tips
Our discussion group (email and/or website) designed to promote discussion on technical issues for laboratory workers.
Searching the website
There is now a third facility to search for information on Aspergillus. Covering all the information in the Aspergillus Website and including a series of websites we feel contain useful information NOT currently available on the Aspergillus Website, the Aspergillus World search engine contains large amounts of focussed information from all over the world. If you can suggest more (particularly keen to access information on industrial applications) then let us know at admin@aspergillus.org.uk.
RSS
Download our updates and articles automatically every time we add to those pages- no need to wait for the next newsletter. 40 000 pages accesses per month. Use RSS.
What is RSS and how do I use it? Get help here.
Twitter
You can now receive notification of updates to the Aspergillus Website on your mobile phone via SMS texting free of charge. Go to http://twitter.com/AspergillusWeb and open a Twitter account. Follow AspergillusWeb.
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The Aspergillus Team.
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