Associate prof and clinical mycologist at Saint-Louis Hospital / Paris-City University and research on aspergillosis at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France.
Surfactant protein D (SP-D), synthesized by alveolar cells plays a crucial role in reducing surface tension in the alveoli but is a recently recognized pattern recognition receptor. Binding to Aspergillus fumigatus both promotes pro-inflammatory immune response while directly inhibiting fungal growth through complex host-pathogen interactions.