Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2025
Experimental Human Pneumococcal Carriage
Published on: February 15, 2013
Slicing through the challenge of maintaining Pneumocystis in the laboratory
Olga A Nev1,2, Lucian Duvenage2,3,4, Alistair J P Brown2
1Biosciences and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Pneumocystis jirovecii is a major fungal pathogen of humans that causes life-threatening lung infections in immunocompromised individuals. Despite its huge global impact upon human health, our understanding of the pathobiology of this deadly fungus remains extremely limited, largely because it is not yet possible to cultivate Pneumocystis in vitro, independently of the host. However, a recent paper by Munyonho et al. offers a major step forward (F. T. Munyonho, R. D. Clark, D. Lin, M. S. Khatun, et al., 2023, mBio 15:e01464-23, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01464-23). They show that it is possible to maintain both the trophozoite and cyst forms of the mouse pathogen, Pneumocystis murina, in precision-cut lung slices for several weeks. Furthermore, they demonstrate that this offers the exciting opportunity to examine potential virulence factors such as possible biofilm formation as well as antifungal drug responses in the lung.
Insights
Researchers developed a new method to study Pneumocystis, a fungus causing lung infections. This advance allows for longer observation of the pathogen in lung tissue, aiding in understanding its behavior and developing treatments.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pulmonary Medicine
Background:
- Pneumocystis jirovecii is a significant human fungal pathogen responsible for severe pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals.
- Limited understanding of Pneumocystis pathobiology is due to the inability to culture it independently of a host.
- This hinders research into virulence factors and effective antifungal therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a novel in vitro model for studying Pneumocystis.
- To enable long-term observation of Pneumocystis in a host-mimicking environment.
- To facilitate the investigation of fungal virulence and drug responses.
Main Methods:
- Utilized precision-cut lung slices (PCLSs) from mice to culture Pneumocystis murina.
- Maintained both trophozoite and cyst stages of the fungus in PCLSs for extended periods.
- Employed PCLSs as a platform for studying fungal-host interactions.
Main Results:
- Successfully maintained Pneumocystis murina in PCLSs for several weeks.
- Demonstrated the viability of both trophozoite and cyst forms in this model.
- Showcased the potential of PCLSs for investigating fungal biofilm formation and antifungal drug efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Precision-cut lung slices provide a viable ex vivo model for studying Pneumocystis.
- This model system offers new avenues for exploring Pneumocystis virulence mechanisms, including biofilm formation.
- The PCLS model is a promising tool for evaluating antifungal drug responses in a relevant lung environment.
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