Fungal infection caused by Aspergillus fumigation can be detected earlier with new imaging technique

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Tuesday August 14, 2024

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NIH researchers have tested and developed a new imaging technique that allows for the specific detection of Aspergillus fumigatus fungal infection.Getty Images/Wildpixel

What :

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute have developed and evaluated a new imaging method that allows for the specific detection of Aspergillus fumigatus In the future, it will be possible to detect fungal infections without invasive methods. Immunocompromised people who delay diagnosing Aspergillus or other fungal infections are at greater risk of developing more serious diseases or even death.

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Many fungi have evolved to use other fuel sources due to the presence of glucose in their environment. For example, they can produce energy by converting complex sugars into simple sugars. Aspergillus is able to break down cellobiose into glucose, while most microbes or human cells are unable to do so. Researchers have developed a radioactive form of cellobiose that can be observed in the body by positron emission tomography when injected into the bloodstream.

This study examines the radioactivity of cellobiose.[[[¹⁸F]-Fluorocellobiose,[[[¹⁸F]PET scanning was used to image the mice. These mice accumulated radioactivity while mice with bacterial infection or non-infectious inflammation did not.

The same tracer radioactivity was also detected by the researchers.[[[¹⁸F]PET imaging taken before and after treatment can be used to determine whether mice with fungal infection are responding well to treatment.

The Center for Infectious Disease Imaging, a joint venture between Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the NIH Clinical Center and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), was responsible for funding the study in collaboration with the Chemistry and Synthesis Center at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Who :

Dr. Dima Hammoud is a Senior Investigator at the NIH Clinical Center.

Article :

Dr. Dima A. Hammoud, et al. The development and validation of 2-deoxy-2[18F] Aspergillus-specific PET tracer using fluorocellobiose. Science Translational Medicine. August 14, 2024 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adl5934.

The NIH Clinical Center: The NIH Clinical Center, the world's largest hospital devoted exclusively to clinical research. The NIH Clinical Center is a valuable national resource that enables scientists to rapidly translate their laboratory observations into new approaches to diagnose, prevent, and treat disease. The NIH Clinical Center conducts more than 1,600 research studies, including studies focused on cancer, infections, blood disorders, heart disease, lung disease, and alcoholism. Visit the Clinical Center for more information. www.cc.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health: The NIH is the medical research agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is comprised of 27 institutes and centers. The NIH, the nation's medical research agency, is comprised of 27 institutes and centers and is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Visit the NIH for more information about its programs and services. www.nih.gov.

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