Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) who use inhaled antibiotics are at more than three times higher risk of becoming infected with the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, according to a new study. Study results showed no association between Aspergillus infection and lung function decline, and available data demonstrated no clear benefits of treating the…

Treatment with Kalydeco (ivacaftor) significantly reduces the levels of inflammatory molecules in the lungs of preschool-age children with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to a small study. A reduction in lung inflammation was not observed in preschoolers with CF who were treated with Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor). These findings add…

The government of Ontario has expanded coverage of Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ triple-combination treatment Trikafta for children, 6 and older, with cystic fibrosis (CF) and at least one copy of the most common CF-causing mutation, called F508del. The announcement comes a few months after Health Canada expanded Trikafta’s previous label,…

A technique called 2D shear wave elastography, which measures the stiffness of tissues, could be useful for detecting liver disease in people with cystic fibrosis. That’s according to the study, “2D Shear Wave Elastography, a promising screening tool for Cystic Fibrosis liver disease, shows a correlation…

Treatment with the probiotic Vivomixx appeared to lead to healthful changes in the gut microbiome of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in a small clinical trial, including six with CF-related…

A newly launched biotech company called Carbon Biosciences is aiming to develop lung-specific gene therapy vectors — vehicles to deliver genetic material directly into a cell — to help treat cystic fibrosis (CF). The company has $38 million in series A financing, funded in part by the Cystic…

Using a machine learning approach based on genetic data, a trio of scientists at Scripps Research identified a region of the CFTR protein that is vital for its proper function, but is barely affected by existing cystic fibrosis (CF) treatments. Researchers described their findings in the study “…

The Lung Transplant Foundation is hosting a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the intent of educating the agency and public about the challenges of living with bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), a severe complication of lung transplants. “This is the first time that regulators and policymakers…

Certain variations in the gene that codes for the inflammatory signaling molecule TGF-beta1 are associated with faster lung function decline and a higher risk of Pseudomonas infections for people with cystic fibrosis (CF), a new study indicates. “Our results demonstrate the relevance of the multifunctional cytokine [signaling molecule]…

There is wide clinical variety in the presentation of individuals who carry one F508del mutation and one 5T;TG12 mutation in the CFTR gene, an Italian study highlights. Its researchers stressed the need to monitor individuals with this genotype, since there are not currently accurate ways to predict who is at highest risk…