Pneumocystis Pneumonia News and Research

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Initially described as “plasma cell pneumonia”, pulmonary infection with the microorganism Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly known as Pnemocystis carinii) was first identified in malnourished infants, especially those in orphanages, at the conclusion of the Second World War. Today this disease, manifesting as a severe and often fatal pneumonia in immunocompromised patients, is of increasing importance to pediatricians and other specialists around the world.

New EULAR recommendations for screening and treating infections in AIIRD patients

It is already known that people who are immunocompromised are more prone to infections. Chronic and opportunistic infections are often found in people with an AIIRD, and may be linked to some of the immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory treatments used to treat these rheumatic diseases.

22 Nov 2022

Lupus patients receiving prophylactic therapy are at high risk for adverse reactions

New research shows that adults with systemic lupus erythematosus, who receive trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), a prophylactic therapy to help prevent pneumocystis pneumonia, are at high risk for adverse reactions to the drug, particularly if they are also positive for anti-Smith (anti-Sm) antibodies.

6 Nov 2020

New category of immunotherapy appears safe to use in patients with both cancer and HIV

A new category of immunotherapies called checkpoint inhibitors that has been highly effective against many different cancers appears safe to use in patients with both advanced malignancies and HIV, a population excluded from earlier trials of such therapies, according to an early-phase trial.

7 Nov 2017

Despite availability of life-saving medicaiton, annual deaths due to fungal meningitis are still over 180,000

International HIV experts have reported approximately 250,000 fungal meningitis cases annually, in the AIDS report, sub-Saharan Africa contributing 73% of cases. Cryptococcus fungus causes fungal meningitis and usually affects individuals who are above 35 years old, affecting the tissues covering the brain and the spinal cord

8 May 2017

Improving fungal disease diagnostics could help battle against antimicrobial resistance

Ignorance of fungal disease and lack of diagnostics across the world is causing doctors to unknowingly overprescribe antibiotics a new report warns.

18 Jan 2017

Better fungal disease diagnostics could be critical to fight against antimicrobial resistance

Poor diagnosis worldwide of fungal disease causes doctors to overprescribe antibiotics, increasing harmful resistance to antimicrobial drugs, according to a paper published today in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

17 Jan 2017

Study: Fungal asthma in UK greatly exceeds prior estimates

Experts are warning of a significant increase in the number of people in the UK who are living with invasive and serious fungal diseases that affect the lungs, bloodstream and brain and can sometimes lead to death.

16 Nov 2016

Rising shortages of key antibiotics raise serious concerns about effects on patient care

Shortages of key antibiotics, including gold-standard therapies and drugs used to treat highly resistant infections, are on the rise, according to a new study of shortages from 2001 to 2013 published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online. The trends raise serious concerns about the effects on patient care, particularly for infections without effective alternative treatment options.

23 Apr 2015

New model for HIV-1 infection offers promising option for clinical research

HIV-1, the virus responsible for most cases of AIDS, is a very selective virus. It does not readily infect species other than its usual hosts — humans and chimpanzees.

20 Jun 2014

Genome sequencing may help identify new targets to treat Pneumocystis pneumonia

Scientists have sequenced the genome of the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii, an advancement that could help identify new targets for drugs to treat and prevent Pneumocystis pneumonia, a common and often deadly infection in immunocompromised patients.

26 Dec 2012

Environmental factors affect pneumonia hospitalization in HIV

Hospital admissions for Pneumocystis pneumonia in HIV-infected individuals are significantly more common in the summer months, US research shows.

15 Oct 2012

Nostrum, VCU sign license agreement to develop inhaled dapsone for respiratory diseases

Virginia Commonwealth University and Nostrum Pharmaceuticals, LLC, are pleased to announce the signing of a license agreement for the development of inhaled dapsone for the treatment of respiratory diseases.

17 Aug 2012

NIH awards LSUHSC $9 million grant to develop pneumonia vaccine

Dr. Judd Shellito, Chief of the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has been awarded approximately $9 million in grant funding to develop a vaccine against Pneumocystis, an important cause of pneumonia in people with HIV infection. This potentially fatal illness is the most common serious opportunistic infection in people with HIV.

7 Oct 2011

Lab21 acquires molecular diagnostics company Myconostica Ltd

Lab21 Limited, the global specialist in personalised medicine and clinical diagnostics has today announced that it has acquired Myconostica Ltd, a molecular diagnostic company focussing on the diagnosis of fungal infections of clinical importance.

23 May 2011

ATS releases new report detailing emerging trends in HIV-linked pulmonary disease management

The American Thoracic Society has released a new report detailing recent global changes in the management of human immunodeficiency virus-associated pulmonary disease.

4 Mar 2011

Myconostica presents data of MycAssay for Pneumocystis detection

Myconostica Ltd, the UK-based medical diagnostic company developing and commercialising rapid and highly specific tests for life-threatening fungal infections, today presented positive data from a multi-centre prospective evaluation of MycAssay Pneumocystis, the Company's CE marked diagnostic product for detection of Pneumocystis DNA in respiratory samples.

13 Sep 2010

LSUHSC Professor awarded $2.1M grant to determine role of PCP

Dr. Jay Kolls, Professor and Chairman of Genetics at the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Medicine, has been awarded a $2.1 million grant over five years by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to determine the role and identify which T-helper cells fight the opportunistic infection, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, which can be a complication of HIV/AIDS.

14 Jul 2010

Immtech and BioAlliance sign agreement on Pafuramidine for African sleeping sickness

Immtech Pharmaceuticals has announced that the Company has granted an exclusive license to BioAlliance Pharma SA to commercialize Immtech's oral drug, pafuramidine maleate (pafuramidine), in Europe for the treatment of pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in AIDS patients and for the treatment of Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as African sleeping sickness.

5 Dec 2007

Immtech receives $5.1 million to tackle trypanosomiasis and leishmania

Immtech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has received $5.1 million from a scientific consortium led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), which received funds from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to develop drugs for fighting African sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) and leishmania.

6 Nov 2007