Pr Nicolas Papon is seeking a fellow for MSCA PF 2024 in medical mycology

Professor Nicolas Papon from the Respiratory Fungal Infections laboratory (IRF) at the University of Angers is looking for postdoctoral candidates interested in applying for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) in 2024.

Note that applicants must comply with the Mobility Rule.

Brief description of the University of Angers:

The University of Angers has 23,000 students, 1,037 professors, around 1,400 professionals and nearly 700 staff members, 400 different degrees, association with national public centers (CNRS, INRAE, INSERM),450 institutions collaborated all over the world with the UA in the framework of research or education agreements. The University of Angers is committed to the HRS4R label since 2020 and is already involved in various European projects, notably MSCA actions.

The laboratory in a nutshell:

Our unit focuses on fungal respiratory infections occurring in cystic fibrosis and transplant patients, with a particular emphasis on infections caused by species of the genus Scedosporium, Pneumocystis, Aspergillus, and Candida. We are mainly interested in the clinical surveillance of these infections with the detection of the emergence of new pathogens, the improvement of biological diagnosis methods of these infections, and the prevention of these infections by a better knowledge of the ecology of the fungi involved and the identification of the sources of contamination of patients. We also specifically develop multi-omics approaches aiming at identifying the pathogenic attributes of fungi and their adaptation mechanisms to the physico-chemical factors they encounter in the respiratory tract.

Description of the potential research project :

The continuing rise in the number of patients treated with transplantation procedures is attested by a  worldwide activity of more than 200,000 grafts per year including solid-organ transplants (SOT) or hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT). In this context, transplant recipients are exposed to various types of complications including rejection (mainly host-versus-graft disease) and infectious diseases (especially bacterial, viral and fungal infections, occasionally protozoal). Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in SOT and HSCT recipients. The typical transplant recipient receives multiple immunosuppressive and prophylaxis agents to prevent both organ/cell rejection and microbial infections. The adverse effects of the different molecules used, but above all the potential drug interactions which have an impact on PK/PD and toxicity, turn out to be deleterious factors for transplantation outcome. On the positive side, there is growing in vitro evidence that some of these interactions result in synergistic antimicrobial effects. On the negative side, emerging evidence finds antifungal prophylaxis to be linked to resistant fungi and clusters of infection in transplantation units. Of concern, antibacterial, anti-Toxoplasma and antifungal prophylactic regimens recommended for HSCT probably result in the disruption of the balance of the microbiota. This has the potential to promote the selection of certain less susceptible fungal isolates/species which can then invade the bloodstream and cause fatal IFIs. The recent rise in antifungal resistance challenges current practice. Acquired resistance to antifungals, changes in the epidemiology of fungal species most often involved, but also the emergence of new species all need to be accommodated to optimize future prophylaxis and treatment choices.

On this basis, our project aims at accurately assessing the impact of current immunosuppressive regimens on the risk of developing specific IFIs, given their antifungal properties. By using multi-omics approaches, we will decipher genetic determinants of fungal resistance to immunosuppressants. This could help soon to developed rapid detection tools to predict clinical outcomes and to dynamically adjust prophylactic regimens during the transplantation process. Beyond that, this program should also help to continue improving the therapeutic prophylaxis protocols currently recommended to minimize the risks of IFIs.

Keywords: Fungal infections, transplant patients, immunosuppressants, resistance