MOLECULAR STUDY OF ASPERGILLUS-FUMIGATUS AND INVASIVE ASPERGILLOSIS -TOOLS, PROGRESS AND QUESTIONS

Development of A. fumigatus in the host tissues is due to the intrinsi c biological characteristics of this fungus and to the impairment of t he cellular defence reactions of the host. However, even today the und erstanding of the factors governing the infectivity of A. fumigatus re mains very limited. For example, the cellular mechanisms involved in t he killing of A. fumigatus are still not elucidated. The cellular site (s) of infection and the role of the different lung epithelia in the establishment of the fungus are unknown. No specific fungal virulence factors have been identified until now. Molecular biology techniques a re powerful tools to investigate the pathogenesis of invasive aspergil losis. Recent developments in the study of this mycosis are presented in this review