fungi cause more than 1 million lung infections every year

[Guest guest]

Fungal mystery solved

Scientists discover a cause behind a mold organism conversion that

can induce lung infection

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-

hsfung284719547apr28,0,6758199.story?coll=ny-health-print

BY BRYN NELSON

Newsday Staff Writer

April 28, 2006

Long Island,NY

What would cause a mild-mannered Kent of a mold to rear up

like a demented superhero? Wisconsin scientists have found the

apparent answer in a heat-sensitive biological switch, a crucial key

to understanding how harmless soil fungi can transform themselves

into virulent yeast cells when inhaled into human lungs.

Other researchers hailed the finding as a major advance in the field

of medical mycology, which addresses the diseases caused by fungal

organisms.

Collectively, a half-dozen types of shape-shifting fungi cause more

than 1 million lung infections every year in the United States. One

mild form causes an illness known as rose gardener's disease, but

the fungal infections can prove life-threatening for immune-

compromised patients. Scientists have studied the fungal alter-egos

for decades but had been unable to find the mastermind behind the

radical switcheroo.

" It's quite dramatic, " said Bruce Klein, an infectious disease

specialist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a co-author

of the new study. As soil dwellers, the organisms feature long

filaments studded with small spores. These spores can be easily

dislodged if disturbed and are perfectly sized to re-lodge in the

air sacs of human lungs.

Once there, the spores receive their cue from the warmer

temperatures within their new home and transform into much larger

yeast cells spiked with a nasty array of disease-abetting proteins.

But what really controls all of this?

" We solved the riddle by finding this really ancient element

conserved throughout evolution that acts as a sensing mechanism and

tells these fungi when they've changed their environment, " Klein

said.

This master switch, as he calls it, was caught with a piece of

genetic bait: a gene known to switch on during the conversion

process. In the study, published today in the journal Science, a

dragnet based on that gene's activity yielded an antenna-like

protein called a histidine kinase. It was, the researchers realized,

the perfect candidate for a sensor that recognizes when conditions

warrant a big change in lifestyle.

They confirmed their hunch by knocking out the gene's function and

preventing the mold from completing its extreme makeover and killing

any mice infected with the mutant form.

The next step, Klein said, is to screen for compounds that might

block the fungal protein's function in humans.

Kausik Datta, a medical mycologist at Albert Einstein College of

Medicine in the Bronx, hailed the study in an e-mail for its " huge

amount of painstaking work. " Since the newly identified gene appears

to be highly conserved among different fungal species, he said, an

intervention targeting it might work against its relatives, too.

" I think this is quite an exciting finding, " agreed Dr. Mahmoud

Ghannoum, director of the Center for Medical Mycology at University

Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University. Anti-

fungal drugs are often toxic, he said - a side-effect of our ancient

evolutionary links to fungi. But a drug that targets a protein

present only in fungi may avoid such obstacles.

" This is really a target with great potential, " he said.

[Guest guest]

ANTIFUNGAL DRUGS ARE OFTEN TOXIC, statements like this may be a good

reason why people should not only read whats in the drug,herb, or

anything else there trying, but to also reseach those listed, how the

product was processed, exc. just just conferms for me my choise not

to put more things in my body when I dont know whats it consist of.

it also makes me pretty sure that allergy testing and possitive

reactions to molds could actually be a reaction toxins in the serum

itself. theres only one place I know of that cultures there own molds

used for testing allergies and do special allergy testing. that is

the EHC in texas with Dr. Rea. to bad it cost a fortune to go there,

would love to see results of theri testing. does anyone know if

theris any articles out there about false results of allergy testing

based on reactions to whats in serum

itself?

In

, " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote:

>

> Fungal mystery solved

> Scientists discover a cause behind a mold organism conversion that

> can induce lung infection

>

> http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-

> hsfung284719547apr28,0,6758199.story?coll=ny-health-print

>

> BY BRYN NELSON

> Newsday Staff Writer

>

> April 28, 2006

> Long Island,NY

>

> What would cause a mild-mannered Kent of a mold to rear up

> like a demented superhero? Wisconsin scientists have found the

> apparent answer in a heat-sensitive biological switch, a crucial

key

> to understanding how harmless soil fungi can transform themselves

> into virulent yeast cells when inhaled into human lungs.

>

> Other researchers hailed the finding as a major advance in the

field

> of medical mycology, which addresses the diseases caused by fungal

> organisms.

>

> Collectively, a half-dozen types of shape-shifting fungi cause

more

> than 1 million lung infections every year in the United States. One

> mild form causes an illness known as rose gardener's disease, but

> the fungal infections can prove life-threatening for immune-

> compromised patients. Scientists have studied the fungal alter-egos

> for decades but had been unable to find the mastermind behind the

> radical switcheroo.

>

> " It's quite dramatic, " said Bruce Klein, an infectious disease

> specialist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a co-

author

> of the new study. As soil dwellers, the organisms feature long

> filaments studded with small spores. These spores can be easily

> dislodged if disturbed and are perfectly sized to re-lodge in the

> air sacs of human lungs.

>

> Once there, the spores receive their cue from the warmer

> temperatures within their new home and transform into much larger

> yeast cells spiked with a nasty array of disease-abetting proteins.

> But what really controls all of this?

>

> " We solved the riddle by finding this really ancient element

> conserved throughout evolution that acts as a sensing mechanism and

> tells these fungi when they've changed their environment, " Klein

> said.

>

> This master switch, as he calls it, was caught with a piece of

> genetic bait: a gene known to switch on during the conversion

> process. In the study, published today in the journal Science, a

> dragnet based on that gene's activity yielded an antenna-like

> protein called a histidine kinase. It was, the researchers

realized,

> the perfect candidate for a sensor that recognizes when conditions

> warrant a big change in lifestyle.

>

> They confirmed their hunch by knocking out the gene's function and

> preventing the mold from completing its extreme makeover and

killing

> any mice infected with the mutant form.

>

> The next step, Klein said, is to screen for compounds that might

> block the fungal protein's function in humans.

>

> Kausik Datta, a medical mycologist at Albert Einstein College of

> Medicine in the Bronx, hailed the study in an e-mail for its " huge

> amount of painstaking work. " Since the newly identified gene

appears

> to be highly conserved among different fungal species, he said, an

> intervention targeting it might work against its relatives, too.

>

> " I think this is quite an exciting finding, " agreed Dr. Mahmoud

> Ghannoum, director of the Center for Medical Mycology at University

> Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University. Anti-

> fungal drugs are often toxic, he said - a side-effect of our

ancient

> evolutionary links to fungi. But a drug that targets a protein

> present only in fungi may avoid such obstacles.

>

> " This is really a target with great potential, " he said.

>

[Guest guest]

Yess, but fungal infections are even more toxic. I almost died from one, and I

am VERY

grateful for the antifungals.

I have to add that I do not use pharmaceuticals often either. I only use them

when I need

them, and then only if they fit my idea of useful (which docs often don't agree

with).

Many people with fungal infections show no allergy on testing, according to

recent

research published (I think this is one of those I posted previously). And many

of them

seem to recover without the ongoing toxicity problems many of us have. But I am

not sure

of the numbers.

I do react to some chemicals, and some used in the testing serums, but since it

is the

same in each (preservative), the doc can tell which is from the actual allergy.

He is hoping

my MCS will become less over time. I am too.

I would think that if a person is sensitive to mold, they would also be

sensitive to the

toxins, and I doubt the lab separates it out. I don't think my guys are that

specialized. BUT

they do make their own allergens and serums. I do know someone who sees Dr Rea,

but

that person is still very sick, despite his treatments. Probably more of a toxic

thing than an

allergic thing.

Each of us is different and our bodies have differing mechanisms at work coping

with this

situation. I am glad there are people looking into several different avenues.

> >

> > Fungal mystery solved

> > Scientists discover a cause behind a mold organism conversion that

> > can induce lung infection

> >

> > http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-

> > hsfung284719547apr28,0,6758199.story?coll=ny-health-print

> >

> > BY BRYN NELSON

> > Newsday Staff Writer

> >

> > April 28, 2006

> > Long Island,NY

> >

> > What would cause a mild-mannered Kent of a mold to rear up

> > like a demented superhero? Wisconsin scientists have found the

> > apparent answer in a heat-sensitive biological switch, a crucial

> key

> > to understanding how harmless soil fungi can transform themselves

> > into virulent yeast cells when inhaled into human lungs.

> >

> > Other researchers hailed the finding as a major advance in the

> field

> > of medical mycology, which addresses the diseases caused by fungal

> > organisms.

> >

> > Collectively, a half-dozen types of shape-shifting fungi cause

> more

> > than 1 million lung infections every year in the United States. One

> > mild form causes an illness known as rose gardener's disease, but

> > the fungal infections can prove life-threatening for immune-

> > compromised patients. Scientists have studied the fungal alter-egos

> > for decades but had been unable to find the mastermind behind the

> > radical switcheroo.

> >

> > " It's quite dramatic, " said Bruce Klein, an infectious disease

> > specialist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a co-

> author

> > of the new study. As soil dwellers, the organisms feature long

> > filaments studded with small spores. These spores can be easily

> > dislodged if disturbed and are perfectly sized to re-lodge in the

> > air sacs of human lungs.

> >

> > Once there, the spores receive their cue from the warmer

> > temperatures within their new home and transform into much larger

> > yeast cells spiked with a nasty array of disease-abetting proteins.

> > But what really controls all of this?

> >

> > " We solved the riddle by finding this really ancient element

> > conserved throughout evolution that acts as a sensing mechanism and

> > tells these fungi when they've changed their environment, " Klein

> > said.

> >

> > This master switch, as he calls it, was caught with a piece of

> > genetic bait: a gene known to switch on during the conversion

> > process. In the study, published today in the journal Science, a

> > dragnet based on that gene's activity yielded an antenna-like

> > protein called a histidine kinase. It was, the researchers

> realized,

> > the perfect candidate for a sensor that recognizes when conditions

> > warrant a big change in lifestyle.

> >

> > They confirmed their hunch by knocking out the gene's function and

> > preventing the mold from completing its extreme makeover and

> killing

> > any mice infected with the mutant form.

> >

> > The next step, Klein said, is to screen for compounds that might

> > block the fungal protein's function in humans.

> >

> > Kausik Datta, a medical mycologist at Albert Einstein College of

> > Medicine in the Bronx, hailed the study in an e-mail for its " huge

> > amount of painstaking work. " Since the newly identified gene

> appears

> > to be highly conserved among different fungal species, he said, an

> > intervention targeting it might work against its relatives, too.

> >

> > " I think this is quite an exciting finding, " agreed Dr. Mahmoud

> > Ghannoum, director of the Center for Medical Mycology at University

> > Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University. Anti-

> > fungal drugs are often toxic, he said - a side-effect of our

> ancient

> > evolutionary links to fungi. But a drug that targets a protein

> > present only in fungi may avoid such obstacles.

> >

> > " This is really a target with great potential, " he said.

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I've tried everything but antifungals. My doctor recommended them

once and I wanted to try other things first but I think I will try

them now. The only thing I've noticed is that everyone I've heard

from that goes on them, stays on them. That's a little

disappointing. However if you feel you are better with them, than

that is better than suffering, and as you say, if you have a fungal

infection, you are producing your own mycotoxins, no matter how clean

your environment is.

--- In , " kl_clayton " <kl_clayton@...>

wrote:

>

> Yess, but fungal infections are even more toxic. I almost died from

one, and I am VERY

> grateful for the antifungals.

>

>