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Clinical and Translational Fungal Research - Working Group (CTFR-WG)

About the Working Group

Invasive fungal infections are an increasing threat for immunocompromised individuals and associated with devastating morbidity and mortality. Clinicians and Researchers at UCSD have come together and founded a multidisciplinary working group (Clinical and Translational Fungal Research - Working Group). The CTFR-WG is dedicated to advancing the understanding, diagnostics and management of invasive fungal infections. In 2018, the working group completed two studies on point-of-care diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis, and on impact of combination antifungal therapy on survival in rare mold infections, and was very active in disseminating their research findings in a total of 8 Pub Med listed publications. 

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Members

​
Martin Hoenigl, MD
Associate Professor
President of the European
Confederation of Medical
Mycology, FECMM
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​
Jeffrey Jenks, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
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​
Nancy Law, DO
Assistant Professor
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​
Stephen Rawlings, MD
Attending Physician
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Sharon Reed, MD
 Professor
 UCSD Profile
​
 Sanjay Mehta, MD
 Associate Professor
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Associate Professor
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Ongoing Projects
  • Aspergillus and other Rare Mold Infections at UC San Diego Health (IRB #181119; PI Jenks)
  • Novel Diagnostic Approaches for Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis (IRB #171104; PI Hoenigl)
  • FungiScope Global Emerging Fungal Infections registry (IRB #171105; PI Hoenigl)
  • High Resolution Melt for Rapid Diagnosis of Invasive Mold  Infection in Immunosuppressed Patients. (NIH UL1TR00442)

Clinical Trials

  • SCY-078-206: Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of the Combination Therapy of Ibrexafungerp
    (SCY-078) With Voriconazole in Patients With Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis (SCYNERGIA)
  • F901318: An open-label single-arm Phase IIb study of F901318 as treatment of invasive fungal infections due to Lomentospora prolificans, Scedosporium spp., Aspergillus spp., and other resistant fungi in patients lacking suitable alternative treatment options.

Publications

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  1. Jenks JD, Mehta SR, Taplitz R, Aslam S, Reed SL, Hoenigl M. Point-of-care diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in non-neutropenic patients: Aspergillus Galactomannan Lateral Flow Assay versus Aspergillus-specific Lateral Flow Device test in bronchoalveolar lavage. Mycoses. 2018 Dec 18. doi: 10.1111/myc.12881. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30565352.
  2. Jenks JD, Salzer HJF, Hoenigl M. Improving the rates of Aspergillus detection: an update on current diagnostic strategies. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2019 Jan;17(1):39-50. doi: 10.1080/14787210.2018.1558054. Epub 2018 Dec 17. PubMed 
    PMID: 30556438.
  3. Jenks JD, Mehta SR, Taplitz R, Law N, Reed SL, Hoenigl M. Bronchoalveolar lavage Aspergillus Galactomannan lateral flow assay versus Aspergillus-specific lateral flow device test for diagnosis of invasive pulmonary Aspergillosis in patients with hematological malignancies. J Infect. 2018 Nov 2. pii: S0163-4453(18)30319-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2018.10.014. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30391632.
  4. Jenks JD, Hoenigl M. Treatment of Aspergillosis. J Fungi (Basel). 2018 Aug 19;4(3). pii: E98. doi: 10.3390/jof4030098. Review. PubMed PMID: 30126229; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6162797.
  5. Jenks JD, Reed SL, Seidel D, Koehler P, Cornely OA, Mehta SR, Hoenigl M. Rare mould infections caused by Mucorales, Lomentospora prolificans and Fusarium, in San Diego, CA: the role of antifungal combination therapy. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2018 Nov;52(5):706-712. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2018.08.005. Epub 2018 Aug 9. PubMed PMID: 30099056; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6231988.
  6. Denning DW, Page ID, Chakaya J, Jabeen K, Jude CM, Cornet M, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Bongomin F, Bowyer P, Chakrabarti A, Gago S, Guto J, Hochhegger B, Hoenigl M, Irfan M, Irurhe N, Izumikawa K, Kirenga B, Mnaduku V, Moazam S, Oladele RO, Richardson MD, Tudela JLR, Rozaliyani A, Salzer HJF, Sawyer R, Simukulwa NF, Skrahina A, Sriruttan C, Setianingrum F, Wilopo BAP, Cole DC, Getahun H. Case Definition of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Resource-Constrained Settings. Emerg Infect Dis. 2018 Aug;24(8). doi: 10.3201/eid2408.171312. PMCID: PMC6056117.
  7. Jenks JD, Salzer HJ, Prattes J, Krause R, Buchheidt D, Hoenigl M. Spotlight on isavuconazole in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis: design, development, and place in therapy. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2018 Apr 30;12:1033-1044. doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S145545. eCollection 2018. Review. PubMed PMID: 29750016; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5933337.
  8. Hoenigl M, Gangneux JP, Segal E, Alanio A, Chakrabarti A, Chen SC, Govender N, Hagen F, Klimko N, Meis JF, Pasqualotto AC, Seidel D, Walsh TJ, Lagrou K, Lass-Florl C, Cornely OA, European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM). Global guidelines and initiatives from the European Confederation of Medical Mycology to improve patient care and research worldwide: New leadership is about working together. Mycoses. 2018 Nov;61(11):885-894. doi: 10.1111/myc.12836. PMID: 30086186.
  9. Oladele RO, Osaigbovo II, Ayanlowo OO, Otu AA, Hoenigl M, Cornely OA, Chakrabarti A, Denning DW. The role of medical mycology societies in combatting invasive fungal infections in low- and middle-income countries: A Nigerian model. Mycoses. 2019 Jan;62(1):16-21. doi: 10.1111/myc.12845. PMID: 30184285.
  10. Hoenigl M. Fungal Translocation: A driving force behind the Occurrence of non-AIDS Events? Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Mar 12; pii: ciz215. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz215. PMID: 30861074.
  11. Jenks JD, Mehta SR, Hoenigl M. Broad spectrum triazoles for invasive mould infections in adults: Which drug and when? Med Mycol. 2019 Apr 1; 57 (Supplement_2):S168-S178. doi: 10.1093/mmy/myy052. PMID: 30816967.
  12. Bassetti M, Scudeller L, Giacobbe DR, Lamoth F, Righi E, Zuccaro V, Grecchi C, Rebuffi C, Akova M, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Arikan-Akdagli S, Azoulay E, Blot SI, Cornely OA, Lass-Florl C, Koehler P, Cuenca-Estrella M, de Lange DW, De Rosa FG, De Waele JJ, Dimopoulos G, Garnacho-Montero J, HoeniglM, Kanj SS, Maertens J, Martin-Loeches I, Muñoz P, Kullberg BJ, Agvald-Ohman C, Poulakou G, Rello J, Sanguinetti M, Taccone FS, Timsit JF, Torres A, Vazquez JA, Calandra T; from the Study Group for Infections in Critically Ill Patients (ESGCIP) and the Fungal infection Study Group (EFISG) of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID); European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM); European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM); Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (MSGERC). Developing definitions for invasive fungal diseases in critically ill adult patients in intensive care units. Protocol of the FUNgal infections Definitions in ICU patients (FUNDICU) project. Mycoses. 2019 Apr;62(4):310-319. doi: 10.1111/myc.12869. PMID: 30426598.
  13. Aslam S, Rotstein C, AST Infectious Disease Community of Practice. Candida infections in solid organ transplantation: Guidelines from the American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice. Clin Transplant. 2019 Jun 2:e13623. doi: 10.1111/ctr.13623. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 31155770.
  14. Koehler P, Arendrup MC, Arikan-Akdagli S, Bassetti M, Bretagne S, Klingspor L, Lagrou K, Meis JF, Rautemma-Richardson R, Schelenz S, Hamprecht A, Koehler FC, Kurzai O, Salmanton-Garcia J, Vehreschild JJ, Alanio A, Alastruey-Izqierdo A, Arsic Arsenijevic V, Gangneux JP, Gow NAR, Hadina S, Hamal P, Johnson E, Klimko N, Lass-Florl C, Mares M, Ozenci V, Papp T, Roilides E, Sabino R, Segal E, Talento AF, Tortorano AM, Verweij PE, Hoenigl M, Cornely OA; European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM). ECMM CandiReg-A ready to use platform for outbreaks and epidemiological studies. Mycoses. 2019 Jul 4. doi: 10.1111/myc.12963. PMID: 31271702.
  15. Rawlings SA, Heldt S, Prattes J, Eigl S, Jenks JD, Flick H, Rabensteiner J, Pruller F, Wolfler A, Neumeister P, Strohmaier H, Krause R, Hoenigl M. Using Interleukin 6 and 8 in Blood and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid to Predict Survival in Hematological Malignancy Patients With Suspected Pulmonary Mold Infection. Front Immunol. 2019 Aug 2;10:1798. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01798. PMCID: PMC6687868.
  16. Salmanton-Garcia J, Seidel D, Koehler P, Mellinghoff SC, Herbrecht R, Klimko N, Racil Z, Falces-Romero I, Ingram P, Benitez-Peñuela MA, Rodriguez JY, Desoubeaux G, Barac A, Garcia-Vidal C, Hoenigl M, Mehta SR, Cheng MP, Klyasova G, Heinz WJ, Igbal N, Krause R, Ostermann H, Penack O, Schalk E, Sheppard DC, Willinger B, Wisplinghoff H, Vehreschild JJ, Cornely OA, Vehreschild MJGT; FungiScope ECMM/ISHAM Working Group. Matched-paired analysis of patients treated for invasive mucormycosis: standard treatment versus posaconazole new formulations (MoveOn). J Antimicrob Chemother. 2019 Aug 8. pii: dkz344. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkz344. PMID: 31393591.
  17. Cornely OA, Hoenigl M, Lass-Florl C, Chen SC, Kontoyiannis DP, Morrissey CO, Thompson GR 3rd; Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium (MSG-ERC) and the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM). Defining breakthrough invasive fungal infection-Position paper of the mycoses study group education and research consortium and the European Confederation of Medical Mycology. Mycoses. 2019 Sept;62(9):716-729. doi: 10.1111/myc.12960. PMCID: PMC6692208.
  18. Jenks JD, Spiess B, Buchheidt D, Hoenigl M. (New) Methods for Detection of Aspergillus fumigatus Resistance in Clinical Samples. Curr Fungal Infect Rep. 2019 Sept;13(3):129-136. doi: 10.1007/s12281-019-00342-w. PMCID: PMC6759225. 
  19. Stemler J, Salmanton-Garcia J, Seidel D, Alexander BD, Bertz H, Hoenigl M, Herbrecht R, Meintker L, Meißnew A, Mellinghoff SC, Sal E, Zarrouk M, Koehler P, Cornely OA. Risk factors and mortality in invasive Rasamsonia spp. infection: Analysis of cases in the FungiScope® registry and from the literature. Mycoses. 2019 Nov. doi: 10.1111/myc.13039. PMID: 31769549. 
  20. Oladele RO, Akase IE, Fahal AH, Govender NP, Hoenigl M, Gangneux JP, Chiller TM, Denning DW, Cornely OA, Chakrabarti A. Bridging the knowledge gab on mycoses in Africa: Setting up a Pan-African Mycology Working Group. Mycoses. 2019 Dec. doi: 10.1111/myc.13044. PMID: 31829454.
  21. Jenks JD, Rawlings Sa, Garcia-Vidal C, Koehler P, Mercier T, Prattes J, Lass-Florl C, Martin-Gomez MT, Buchheidt D, Pagano L, Gangneux JP, van de Veerdonk FL, Netea MG, Carvalho A, Hoenigl M. Immune Parameters for Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring in Invasive Mold Infection. J Fungi (Basel). 2019 Dec; 5(4). pii: E116. doi: 10.3390/jof5040116. PMID: 31888227.
  22. Cornely OA, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Arenz D, Chen SCA, Dannaoui E, Hochhegger B, Hoenigl M, Jensen HE, Lagrou K, Lewis RE, Mellinghoff SC, Mer M, Pana ZD, Seidel D, Sheppard DC, Wahba R, Akova M, Alanio A, Al-Hatmi AMS, Arikan-Akdagli S, Badali H, Ben-Ami R, Bonifaz A, Bretagne S, Castagnola E, Chayakulkeeree M, Colombo Al, Corzo-Leon DE, Drgona L, Groll AH, Guinea J, Heussel CP, Ibrahim AS, Kanj SS, Klimko N, Lackner M, Lamoth F, Lanternier F, Lass-Floerl C, Lee DG, Lehrnbecher T, Lmimouni BE, Mares M, Maschmeyer G, Meis JF, Meletiadis J, Morrissey CO, Nucci M, Oladele R, Pagano L, Pasqualotto A, Patel A, Racil Z, Richardson M, Roilides E, Ruhnke M, Seyedmousavi S. Sidharthan N, Singh N, Sinko J, Skiada A, Slavin M, Soman R, Spellberg B, Steinbach W,  Tan BH, Ullmann AJ, Vehreschild JJ, Vehreschild MJGT, Walsh TJ, White PL, Wiederhold NP, Zaoutis T, Chakrabarti A, Mucormycosis ECMM MSG Global Guideline Writing Group. Global guideline for the diagnosis and management of mucormycosis: an initiative of the European Confederation of Medical Mycology in cooperation with the Mycoses Study Group Education and Research Consortium. Lancet Infect Dis. 2019 Dec; 19(12):e405-e421. doi: 10.1016/S1473-30312-3. PMID: 31699664. 
  23. Egger M, Jenks JD, Hoenigl M, Prattes J. Blood Aspergillus PCR: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. J Fungi (Basel). 2020 Jan; 6(1):18. doi: 10.3390/jof10018. PMID: 32012787. 
  24. Jenks JD, Seidel D, Cornely OA, Chen S, van Hal S, Kauffman C, Miceli MH, Heinemann M, Christner M, Jover Sáenz A, Burchardt A, Kemmerling B, Herbrecht R, Steinmann J, Shoham S, Gräber S, Pagano L, Deeren D, Aslam S, Taplitz R, Revankar SG, Baddley J, Mehta SR, Reed S, Slavin MA, Hoenigl M. Voriconazole plus terbinafine combination antifungal therapy for invasive Lomentospora prolificans infections: analysis of 41 patients from the FungiScope® registry 2008-2019. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2020 Jun; 26(6):784.e1-784.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.01.012. Epub 2020 Jan 20. PMID: 31972317.
  25. Jenks JD, Seidel D, Cornely OA, Chen S, van Hal S, Kauffman C, Miceli MH, Heinemann M, Christner M, Jover Sáenz A, Burchardt A, Kemmerling B, Herbrecht R, Steinmann J, Shoham S, Gräber S, Pagano L, Deeren D, Slavin MA, Hoenigl M. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of invasive Lomentospora prolificans infections: Analysis of patients in the FungiScope® registry. Mycoses. 2020 May; 63(5):437-442. doi: 10.1111/myc.13067. Epub 2020 Apr 15.PMID: 32080902.
  26. Jenks JD, Reed SL, Hoenigl M. Risk factors and outcomes of culture-proven acute Coccidioides spp. infection in San Diego, California, United States. Mycoses. 2020 Jun;63(6):553-557. doi: 10.1111/myc.13074. Epub 2020 Apr 1. PMID: 32176829. 
  27. Arastehfar A, Carvalho A, van de Veerdonk FL, Jenks JD, Koehler P, Krause R, Cornely OA, S Perlin D, Lass-Flörl C, Hoenigl M. COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CAPA)-From Immunology to Treatment. J Fungi (Basel). 2020 Jun 24;6(2):91. doi: 10.3390/jof6020091. PMID: 32599813. 
  28. Jenks JD, Cornely OA, Chen SC, Thompson GR 3rd, Hoenigl M. Breakthrough Invasive Fungal Infections: Who is at risk? Mycoses. 2020 Aug 3. doi: 10.1111/myc.13148. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32744334 Review.
  29. Thompson Iii GR, Cornely OA, Pappas PG, Patterson TF, Hoenigl M, Jenks JD, Clancy CJ, Nguyen MH.  Invasive Aspergillosis as an Under-recognized Superinfection in COVID-19. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020 Jun 19;7(7):ofaa242. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofaa242. eCollection 2020 Jul. PMID: 32754626. 
  30. Hoenigl M, Lin J, Finkelman M, Zhang Y, Karris MY, Letendre S, Ellis RJ, Burke L, Richard B, Gaufin T, Isnard S, Routy JP, Gianella S. Glucan rich nutrition does not increase gut translocation of Beta glucan. Mycoses. 2020 Aug 11. doi: 10.1111/myc.13161. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32780885.
  31. Verweij PE, Gangneux JP, Bassetti M, Brüggemann RJM, Cornely OA, Koehler P, Lass-Flörl C, van de Veerdonk FL, Chakrabarti A, Hoenigl M; European Confederation of Medical Mycology; International Society for Human and Animal Mycology; European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Fungal Infection Study Group; ESCMID Study Group for Infections in Critically Ill Patients. Diagnosing COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis. Lancet Microbe. 2020 Jun;1(2):e53-e55. doi: 10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30027-6. Epub 2020 May 10. PMID: 32835328. 
  32. Jenks JD, Prattes J, Frank J, Spiess B, Mehta SR, Boch T, Buchheidt D, Hoenigl M. Performance of the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid Aspergillus Galactomannan Lateral Flow Assay with Cube Reader for Diagnosis of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis: a Multicenter Cohort Study. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 31:ciaa1281. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1281. Online ahead of print. PMID: 32866234. 

Contact Us

​Dr. Martin Hoenigl
Email: mhoenigl@ucsd.edu

 Dr. Jeffrey Jenks
Email: jjenks@ucsd.edu
Phone: (619) 471-9250

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