New research published in the British Journal of Haematology has shown that a standardised antifungal prevention strategy has reduced invasive fungal disease to just 5% in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation.
Led by colleagues at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, the UK-wide study provides important new evidence from paediatric bone marrow transplant centres across the UK. The findings represent a significant step forward in protecting children from life-threatening fungal infections.
However, the research also highlights the serious impact these infections continue to have. Children who developed an invasive fungal disease had a transplant-related mortality rate of 22%, compared with 5.7% in children who did not develop these infections.
The study demonstrates both the progress that has been made and the need for continued research to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of fungal disease in this vulnerable patient group.
Professor Adilia Warris, NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre Theme Lead, is a co-author of the study and Co-Director of the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM).
The research was supported by the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with funding from the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Exeter.
Read the paper here.
We use cookies to give you the best experience of our website. By browsing you agree to our use of cookies.
