such as organ transplant recipients and people with AIDS or leukemia, the fungus is more likely to become pathogenic, over-running the host's weakened defenses and causing a range of diseases generally termed aspergillosis. Several virulence factors has been postulated to explain this opportunistic behaviour.[3]
When the fermentation broth of A. fumigatus was screened, a number of indolic alkaloids with antimitotic properties were discovered.[4] The compounds of interest have been of a class known as tryprostatins, with spirotryprostatin B being of special interest as an anticancer drug.