Clinical Mycology and Complex Infections
We are testing whether lab-grown neutrophils can kill Aspergillus, a dangerous mould that causes life-threatening lung infections in patients with very low immune cell counts. We are planning to develop this into a cell therapy for refractory Aspergillus infections.
The project is a collaboration between the Universities of Bristol and Exeter: lab-grown neutrophils will be manufactured from blood stem cells at the University of Bristol using an established production method, then tested at the University of Exeter’s MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, for interactions with fungal pathogens. There, we will compare the lab-grown cells against neutrophils isolated fresh from healthy blood donors, using several tests: measuring their ability to produce fungal-killing molecules, counting how effectively they engulf and destroy the fungus, and directly filming the interaction between neutrophils and Aspergillus under the microscope. We will also measure inflammatory signals released during this process using standard laboratory assays. Testing will be repeated across 5–8 independent batches of lab-grown neutrophils to make sure our results are robust and reproducible.
The data will show whether the current manufacturing process produces neutrophils that fight fungal infections effectively, or whether it needs to be adjusted specifically for antifungal activity. The results will feed directly into our wider development plan as we work toward clinical application and eventual approval of manufactured neutrophils as an off-the-shelf treatment for life-threatening infections in vulnerable patients.
NIHR Exeter BRC.
Dr. Helene Guegan and Dr. Borko Amulic.
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