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Updated: May 25, 2026

Histological Quantification to Determine Lung Fungal Burden in Experimental Aspergillosis
Published on: March 9, 2018
Current understanding of PTX3 protective activity on Aspergillus fumigatus infection
Giovanni Salvatori1, Silvia Campo
1Sigma-tau Industrie Farmaceutiche Riunite, Research and Development, Pomezia, Italy. giovanni.salvatori@sigma-tau.it
Abstract:
Infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus remains a major therapeutic challenge in immunocompromised individuals. Innate immunity represents the first line of defense against pathogens. In the last 20 years, several proteins belonging to this arm of the immune system have been characterized as being endowed with antifungal activity. Among these, the prototype long pentraxin PTX3 has been identified as a non-redundant protective factor against infections caused by A. fumigatus. A number of relevant animal models of invasive aspergillosis have indicated that PTX3 exerts its protective activity in several conditions of immunosuppression. In this article, we review the current understanding of PTX3 mechanisms of action that might be of help in further exploration of the pharmacological activity of this protein against A. fumigatus.
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