Nat. Aspergillosis Centre

Approximately 50% of the MRCM workload is sent from the National Aspergillosis Centre (Manchester) and from Wythenshawe Hospital (MFT) Infectious Diseases clinics and wards.

What is NAC?

NAC is an NHS Specialised Service that primarily treats patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), and a smaller number with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA)

Services we provide to NAC

• Our postal Aspergillus PCR service allows NAC to monitor treatment success and development of antifungal resistance in patients all over the UK. In particular, Aspergillus PCR on sputum is performed by very few labs.
• LC-MS/MS-based therapeutic drug monitoring for workhorse azoles itraconazole/voriconazole and flucytosine, as well as newer antifungals posacoanzole/isavuconazole
• Evaluate commerical kits approved for IA for use in CPA
• Support for clinical trials to bring new antifungals to market

Benefits of having MRCM on site

• Cross-pollination of ideas between lab staff, consultants, nurses, scientists and patients
• We can attend weekly MDTs to discuss new cases of azole resistance and support antifungal stewardship
• We can train NAC nurses to better understand the role and operation of the laboratory, to make things run more smoothly
• Visiting clinicians can work with us to adapt diagnostics technologies for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)