Bacterial Interactions with in the Immunocompromised Lung

The immunocompromised airways are susceptible to infections caused by a range of pathogens which increases the opportunity for polymicrobial interactions to occur. and are the predominant causes of pulmonary infection for individuals with respiratory disorders such as cystic fibrosis (CF). The spore-forming fungus , is most frequently isolated with , and co-infection results in poor outcomes for patients. It is therefore clinically important to understand how these pathogens interact with each other and how such interactions may contribute to disease progression so that appropriate therapeutic strategies may be developed. Despite its persistence in the airways throughout the life of a patient, rarely becomes the dominant pathogen. In vitro interaction studies have revealed remarkable insights into the molecular mechanisms that drive agonistic and antagonistic interactions that occur between and pulmonary bacterial pathogens such as . Crucially, these studies demonstrate that although bacteria may predominate in a competitive environment, has the capacity to persist and contribute to disease.