Margalit, Anatte and Kavanagh, Kevin (2015) The innate immune response to Aspergillus fumigatus at the alveolar surface. FEMS Microbiology Reviews, 39 (5). pp. 670-687. ISSN 0168-6445

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Abstract

Aspergillus fumigatus is an ubiquitous, saprophytic mould that forms and releases airborne conidia which are inhaled by humans on a daily basis. When the immune system is compromised (e.g. immunosuppressive therapy prior to organ transplantation) or there is pre-existing pulmonary malfunction (e.g. asthma, cystic fibrosis, TB lesions), A. fumigatus exploits weaknesses in the host defenses which can result in the development of saphrophytic, allergic or invasive aspergillosis. If not effectively eliminated by the innate immune response, conidia germinate and form invasive hyphae which can penetrate pulmonary tissues. The innate immune response to A. fumigatus is stage-specific and various components of the host's defenses are recruited to challenge the different cellular forms of the pathogen. In immunocompetent hosts, anatomical barriers (e.g. the mucociliary elevator) and professional phagocytes such as alveolar macrophages (AM) and neutrophils prevent the development of aspergillosis by inhibiting the growth of conidia and hyphae. The recognition of inhaled conidia by AM leads to the intracellular degradation of the spores and the secretion of proinflammatory mediators which recruit neutrophils to assist in fungal clearance. During the later stages of infection, dendritic cells activate a protective A. fumigatus-specific adaptive immune response which is driven by Th1 CD4+ T cells.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Cite as: Anatte Margalit, Kevin Kavanagh, The innate immune response to Aspergillus fumigatus at the alveolar surface, FEMS Microbiology Reviews, Volume 39, Issue 5, September 2015, Pages 670–687, https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuv018
Keywords:	Aspergillus; aspergillosis; innate immunity; invasive; immunity; pulmonary;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Biology
Item ID:	11130
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuv018
Depositing User:	Dr. Kevin Kavanagh
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2019 15:21
Journal or Publication Title:	FEMS Microbiology Reviews
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	https://academic.oup.com
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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