Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Histological Quantification to Determine Lung Fungal Burden in Experimental Aspergillosis
09:52

Histological Quantification to Determine Lung Fungal Burden in Experimental Aspergillosis

Published on: March 9, 2018

Implications of hypoxic microenvironments during invasive aspergillosis

Sara J Wezensky1, Robert A Cramer

  • 1Department of Veterinary Molecular Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.

Medical Mycology
|June 22, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Hypoxia, or low oxygen, is a common stress in infections. This review explores how hypoxic conditions impact Aspergillus fumigatus infections, affecting fungal virulence, host immunity, and antifungal drug effectiveness.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Pathogens must overcome in vivo microenvironmental stresses to cause disease.
  • Hypoxia (low oxygen) is a known stress at sites of tissue damage during infection.
  • The role of hypoxia in invasive aspergillosis, caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential implications of hypoxic microenvironments on the Aspergillus-host interaction.
  • To highlight areas where hypoxia may influence the outcome of invasive aspergillosis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on the impact of hypoxia in fungal infections.
  • Analysis of potential effects on fungal virulence, host immune responses, and antifungal treatment efficacy.

Main Results:

  • Hypoxia is a significant, yet understudied, factor in invasive aspergillosis.
  • Potential impacts span fungal pathogenicity, host defense mechanisms, and therapeutic outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding hypoxia's role is crucial for comprehending Aspergillus fumigatus pathogenesis.
  • Further research into hypoxic environments is needed to improve treatment strategies for invasive aspergillosis.
Keywords:
Aspergillus fumigatusInvasive Aspergillosisantifungal drugsfungal virulencehypoxia

More Related Videos

Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy-Based Quantitative Analysis of Aspergillus fumigatus Conidia Distribution in Whole-Mount Optically Cleared Mouse Lung15:01

Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy-Based Quantitative Analysis of Aspergillus fumigatus Conidia Distribution in Whole-Mount Optically Cleared Mouse Lung

Published on: September 18, 2021

Live Imaging of Antifungal Activity by Human Primary Neutrophils and Monocytes in Response to A. fumigatus12:29

Live Imaging of Antifungal Activity by Human Primary Neutrophils and Monocytes in Response to A. fumigatus

Published on: April 19, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Cryptococcal Meningitis01:27

Cryptococcal Meningitis

Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection predominantly associated with HIV/AIDS, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. However, it also affects individuals with other forms of immunosuppression, including those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, organ transplant recipients, patients with innate immunodeficiencies, and individuals with hematological disorders. The infection is caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii,...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Microenvironments01:22

Microenvironments

Microorganisms inhabit highly localized spaces known as microenvironments, which are defined by distinct physical and chemical characteristics. These include oxygen concentration, pH, temperature, light availability, and nutrient levels. The conditions within a microenvironment can differ markedly from those in the surrounding area and significantly influence microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure.Microenvironments often display sharp physicochemical gradients over small spatial...
Fungal Phylum Ascomycota01:28

Fungal Phylum Ascomycota

Phylum Ascomycota, a major division within the subkingdom Dikarya, comprises a diverse range of fungal species, including both unicellular yeasts and filamentous molds such as Aspergillus and Penicillium. These fungi thrive in a variety of habitats, from aquatic ecosystems to terrestrial environments, playing crucial ecological and economic roles.Morphology and ReproductionThe defining characteristic of Ascomycetes, commonly referred to as sac fungi, is the ascus—a sac-like structure that...
Acute Respiratory Failure-II01:21

Acute Respiratory Failure-II

Type I Respiratory Failure, or hypoxemic respiratory failure, occurs when the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) in arterial blood falls below 60 mmHg while breathing room air without a corresponding increase in arterial carbon dioxide levels (PaCO2). This condition highlights a significant impairment in the lungs' capacity to oxygenate the blood.
The underlying physiological abnormalities that contribute to hypoxemic respiratory failure include:
Atelectasis II: Pathophysiology01:10

Atelectasis II: Pathophysiology

Atelectasis develops when alveoli lose their air and collapse inward. Because lung tissue is naturally elastic, these air sacs shrink rather than remaining open. Collapsed alveoli are no longer ventilated, reducing their role in gas exchange. Blood flow may continue in these regions, creating a ventilation–perfusion mismatch. Clinical findings include decreased breath sounds, dullness to percussion, reduced chest expansion, and decreased tactile fremitus as sound transmission through collapsed...