SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES - PUBLICATIONS

Members of the COST Action CA23142 – Delve into Pneumocystis network have published a new study in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology exploring the presence of Pneumocystis jirovecii in lung cancer patients. This study provides evidence that the opportunistic fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii can occasionally be detected within lung tumour tissue, suggesting that tumour-associated microenvironmental changes may facilitate microbial colonization.

This multicenter study demonstrated that solid organ transplant recipients, particularly those exposed to mycophenolic acid, frequently harbored Pneumocystis jirovecii strains carrying impdh gene mutations (G1020A, G1020T). These mutations, absent in non-SOT controls, suggest drug-driven selection and potential transmission of resistant strains within transplant-associated PCP clusters.

This study sequenced Pneumocystis jirovecii msg-I genes in Swiss patients with PCP, identifying identical repertoires in three renal transplant recipients, consistent with an outbreak and interhuman transmission. Despite shared repertoires, distinct antigen expression patterns were observed, suggesting selective Msg expression as a novel mechanism for immune evasion and pathogenesis in immunosuppressed hosts.

This scoping review aims to map the existing evidence on Pneumocystis infection or colonization during pregnancy, providing a detailed overview of the prevalence, risk factors, diagnostic challenges, and outcomes reported in the literature. The review adopts the Arksey and O’Malley framework for scoping studies, which emphasizes a systematic approach to identifying and analyzing the breadth of available evidence. In doing so, this review seeks to identify research gaps, inform clinical practice, and propose directions for future research on this critical yet under-represented topic.

This article explores the potential influence of PJ colonization on the pathogenesis of IPF, highlighting both their direct and indirect effects on lung health. The authors performed a proteomic analysis to identify differences in the protein profile of IPF and control patients, with and without PJ colonization.