A LARGE ANIMAL MODEL OF INVASIVE PULMONARY ASPERGILLOSIS IN AN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED HOST

摘要

A model of systemic mold/Aspergillus infection in a profoundly immunocompromised host has been established in the beagle dog. The beagle was rendered immunosuppressed using a combination of total body irradiation and daily steroids, which provided a window of time where the mold could be successfully inoculated through a bronchoscope. This created a localized infection in one lung lobe, which subsequently spread diffusely throughout the lung parenchyma, and uniformly resulted in the animal's death. The invention contemplates the further study of the pathophysiology of opportunistic mold infections in vivo and also provides examples for the development of new antifungal agents and more effective combinations of agents. Finally, the invention contemplates the development of technology for the early detection of systemic mold infections. The inventors envisions, that the use of the model should help save patients from clinical trials of antifungal drugs that may be effective in vitro without living up to the expectations in a clinical setting.