Her group focuses on the diagnosis, prevention and therapy of fungal infections, host-pathogen interactions, and antifungal drug resistance in Aspergillus species. Invasive aspergillosis has emerged worldwide as an important cause of infections among patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy, hematopoetic stem-cell or solid organ transplantation. The group is also interested to identify the role of platelets in antifungal host defense, data showed platelets to inhibit fungal growth.

RECENT PROJECTS:
Current work aims on the understanding of fungal resistance to environmental and host induced stress and the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The Lass-Flörl group studies fungal virulence and host factors being involved in the pathomechanisms of in vivo and in vitro resistance, with a special focus on Aspergillus terreus. Some fungi are able to survive host attack and polyene induced oxidative stress response; fungal catalase activity may play a role in this setting. Transcriptomic analysis suggests heat shock proteins (Hsp 70 and Hsp 90) to be involved in amphotericin B resistance. Preliminary data on molecular-based studies on fungal diagnostics reveal a significant increase of co-infections with multiple fungi or with bacterial pathogens. This issue will be raised in more detail within HOROS. Within the ERA-Net consortium Oxystress, we investigated the role of hypoxia/normoxia in antifungal drug susceptibility. Within the ERA-Net consortium ASPBiomics we investigated host-pathogen interactions. Within the OPATHY consortium we develop new diagnostic tools to monitor yeast infections and within the new CD-laboratory “CD-Fungus” we tackle infections due to Mucorales and the improvement of hospital acquired infections.

COLLABORATIONS:
Strong collaborations with the groups of:
Würzner, Haas, Weiss, Kronenberg, Marx-Ladurner

Blatzer M, Jukic E, Posch W, Schöpf B, Binder U, Steger M, Blum G, Hackl H, Gnaiger E, Lass-Flörl C, Wilflingseder D. Amphotericin B resistance in Aspergillus terreus is overpowered by coapplication of pro-oxidants. Antioxid Redox Signal 23:1424-1438 (2015).

Sanguinetti M, Posteraro B, Lass-Flörl C. Antifungal drug resistance among Candida species: mechanisms and clinical impact. Mycoses 2:2-13 (2015).

Blatzer M, Blum G, Jukic E, Posch W, Gruber P, Nagl M, Binder U, Maurer E, Sarg B, Lindner H, Lass-Flörl C, Wilflingseder D. Blocking Hsp70 enhances the efficiency of amphotericin B treatment against resistant Aspergillus terreus strains. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 59:3778-3788 (2015).

Mutschlechner W, Risslegger B, Willinger B, Hoenigl M, Bucher B, Eschertzhuber S, Lass-Flörl C. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (1,3)ß-D-Glucan for the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections in solid organ transplantation: a prospective multicenter study. Transplantation 99:e140-144 (2015).