Margarida Maia, PhD,  science writer—

In people with cystic fibrosis (CF) — particularly those with pancreatic insufficiency, which affects digestion — constipation typically led to longer hospital stays and higher healthcare costs, a study found. “Further work is needed to determine management strategies for constipation in hospitalized [people with CF], which may include early…

Despite often using a contraceptive at some point, unintended pregnancy remains fairly common among women with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the U.S, a survey study found. One in five women reported having an unplanned pregnancy, with the youngest being age 15, adding “to the growing evidence that suggests the…

Kaftrio, a combination of elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor that’s marketed as Trikafta in the U.S., may ease breathing and digestive symptoms in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) who’ve had a lung transplant, a study from the Netherlands suggests. Researchers did observe a slight, but significant, increase in creatinine,…

Starting treatment with the CFTR modulator Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) early in life may provide long-term benefits for children with cystic fibrosis (CF), yet lung function improvements may be temporary, according to a real-world study from Hungary. The study, “Body composition changes and clinical outcomes in pediatric cystic fibrosis…

After one year of treatment with Kaftrio, a triple combination of elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor marketed as Trikafta in the U.S., the number of harmful bacteria growing in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) declined significantly, a French study reports. “We observed a significant decrease in…

Dosing has begun in a Phase 2 clinical study testing ARCT-032, an experimental inhaled treatment Arcturus Therapeutics is developing for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, including those who don’t benefit from CFTR modulators. The LunairCF study (NCT06747858) is recruiting adults with a diagnosis of CF who are…

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which helps people accept feelings and adjust behavior, was better than supportive psychotherapy for adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) facing mental health challenges, a small study found. In the trial (NCT04114227) sponsored by Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and with sessions conducted online,…

Rostra Therapeutics has launched a research project with the support of funding from the Cystic Fibrosis Antimicrobial Resistance (CF AMR) Syndicate that seeks to identify new small molecules that can destroy fungi or stop them from growing and causing infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Rostra…

Airway epithelial cells carrying mutations that cause cystic fibrosis (CF) become more loosely connected when grown in the lab in the presence of insulin and high amounts of sugar, a study found, suggesting that CF-related diabetes may weaken the barrier that normally protects the airway tract. Researchers working at…

Bacterial ecotin has the potential to reduce lung damage in cystic fibrosis (CF) by inhibiting the activity of an enzyme called neutrophil elastase without affecting the immune system’s ability to fight off infections, researchers found. Because the findings come from a small number of patient samples, “future work will…