Search term: aspergillosis
Period covered: late April–early May 2026
Key highlights this week
- Diagnostics: new evidence for pentraxin-3 and airway galactomannan testing.
- Treatment: voriconazole dosing may be difficult during ECMO and needs close monitoring.
- Resistance: azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus detected around patient homes in Brazil.
- Transplant medicine: aspergillosis remains the dominant invasive mould infection after lung transplantation.
- Future therapies: early laboratory work identifies a possible new antifungal drug target.
1. New diagnostic marker: pentraxin-3 for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis
Sun C et al. Diagnostic value of pentraxin 3 in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in non-neutropenic patients: a prospective multicenter clinical study. Emerging Microbes & Infections, 2026.
View on PubMed – PMID: 42054395
This prospective multicentre study looked at pentraxin-3 in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as a diagnostic marker for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients who are not neutropenic.
Why it matters: diagnosing invasive aspergillosis can be especially difficult in patients outside the classic high-risk groups. This study supports the wider move toward combining tests and biomarkers rather than relying on one result alone.
2. Galactomannan testing in tracheobronchial aspirates after lung transplant
Monforte A et al. Diagnostic value of galactomannan in tracheobronchial aspirate for Aspergillus infection in lung transplant recipients (the GALACTBAS study). Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2026.
View on PubMed – PMID: 42059612
This study assessed whether galactomannan testing in tracheobronchial aspirates can help diagnose Aspergillus infection in lung transplant recipients.
Why it matters: aspergillosis after lung transplantation often involves the airways. Testing airway samples may support earlier diagnosis and may sometimes be less invasive than deeper lung sampling.
3. Voriconazole levels may vary during ECMO
Yusuff H et al. Time-varying voriconazole clearance during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2026.
View on PubMed – PMID: 42059809
This paper looked at voriconazole clearance in critically ill patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
Why it matters: voriconazole is commonly used to treat invasive aspergillosis, but drug levels can be unpredictable in critical illness. This supports the importance of therapeutic drug monitoring so dosing can be adjusted safely and effectively.
4. Azole-resistant Aspergillus found around patient homes in Brazil
de Barros Rodrigues DK et al. Environmental circulation of Aspergillus fumigatus with reduced susceptibility to agricultural triazole in Brazil: clonal dissemination of potentially resistant genotypes. Mycoses, 2026.
View on PubMed – PMID: 42037564
This study investigated environmental Aspergillus fumigatus around the homes of two patients with suspected aspergillosis caused by resistant isolates.
Why it matters: the findings add to concern that antifungal resistance can arise and circulate in the environment, including through exposure to agricultural triazoles. This is important because azole resistance can make aspergillosis harder to treat.
5. Invasive mould infections after lung transplantation: aspergillosis dominates
Pennington KM et al. Impact of invasive mold infection-coded diagnoses on utilization, costs, and mortality after lung transplantation. Chest, 2026.
View on PubMed – PMID: 42061698
This study assessed invasive mould infection-coded diagnoses after lung transplantation. Aspergillosis was the most common invasive mould infection reported.
Why it matters: lung transplant recipients remain among the highest-risk groups for severe aspergillosis. The study reinforces the need for prevention, early recognition, rapid diagnosis and specialist management.
6. A possible new antifungal target in Aspergillus fumigatus
Storer ISR et al. A protein-protein interaction inhibitor arrests the cell cycle in Aspergillus fumigatus. mBio, 2026.
View on PubMed – PMID: 42053292
This laboratory study explored a compound that interferes with protein-protein interactions and can arrest the cell cycle in Aspergillus fumigatus.
Why it matters: current antifungal options remain limited, and resistance is a growing problem. Early-stage work like this may help identify future antifungal drug classes.
7. Diabetes and fungal infection risk
Kaur H et al. Fungal infections in diabetes mellitus. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, 2026.
View on PubMed – PMID: 42061613
This review discusses fungal infections in people with diabetes, including mucormycosis, aspergillosis and cryptococcosis.
Why it matters: diabetes can affect immune function and increase susceptibility to some infections. For patients with existing lung disease, good diabetes management may be one part of reducing overall infection risk.
8. Aspergillosis during cancer immunotherapy
Niravath P et al. A Phase II Study of Docetaxel and Pembrolizumab plus Interleukin 12 Gene Therapy in Nonmetastatic, Anthracycline-Refractory Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (INTEGRAL). Clinical Cancer Research, 2026.
View on PubMed – PMID: 41661218
This cancer therapy study includes a reported case of pulmonary aspergillosis and respiratory failure during treatment.
Why it matters: modern cancer treatments can alter infection risk in complex ways. Aspergillosis should remain on the radar in patients who become unwell during or after intensive cancer therapy.
Other papers noted this week
- Canakinumab safety pharmacovigilance analysis – relevant to biologic therapy safety and infection monitoring. PMID: 41998856
- Canine sinonasal radiotherapy study – includes nasal aspergillosis in dogs, but is mainly veterinary/radiotherapy focused. PMID: 42007656
- Mucormycosis retrospective study – relevant to invasive fungal disease burden but not directly focused on aspergillosis. PMID: 42050055
Overall message
This week’s papers show how aspergillosis research is moving in several important directions at once: better diagnostic markers, more personalised antifungal dosing, growing concern about environmental resistance, and continued recognition of high-risk groups such as transplant recipients, critically ill patients and people with complex immune or metabolic conditions.
For patients, the main message is that aspergillosis is a complex condition and testing or treatment decisions often need specialist interpretation. No single test result tells the whole story; clinicians usually combine symptoms, scans, culture results, biomarkers and risk factors before deciding on diagnosis and treatment.
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