Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

Lipid levels in human saliva were found to be significantly linked to complications related to cystic fibrosis (CF) — such as poor lung function — and may act as a biomarker for assessing disease activity, according to a new study. These findings suggest that a non-invasive assessment of salivary…

CFTR modulators, approved therapies to treat cystic fibrosis (CF), showed antibacterial activity and enhanced the efficacy of some antibiotics against bacterial species commonly found in CF airways, according to a new study. “Additive effects or synergies were observed between the CFTR modulators and antibiotics against [two common] species” of…

Treatment with Trikafta improved insulin secretion and body weight within one year in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to a small analysis. Despite these findings, there were no consistent treatment-related improvements in measures relating to CF-related diabetes, or CFRD, a common complication among children and adults…

Researchers have discovered that monocytes, a type of white blood cell, drive persistent and sustained inflammation that leads to lung damage in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), a study reported. The researchers showed that, in a CF mouse model, reducing monocyte activity lowered the number of tissue-damaging immune cells…

Enrollment of adults at sites across the U.S. is continuing for a Phase 2a trial of AR-501 (gallium citrate), Aridis Pharmaceuticals‘ investigational inhaled therapy for chronic lung infections due to cystic fibrosis (CF). As an inhaled treatment, AR-501 is intended to be self-administered weekly using a hand-held nebulizer that…

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) was five times higher than in those without CF, after adjusting for age, in a large-scale English population study. CFTR gene mutations, the underlying cause of CF, occurred more frequently than expected, suggesting an association between…

Newborn genetic screening panels for variants in the CFTR gene — mutations of which are the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) — had lower detection rates in minority racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., a large-scale analysis found. Lower detection rates with genetic testing among these…

Trikafta (elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor) was found to successfully lessen the microbial load in the airways of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) after one year of therapy, according to a new study. Treatment with the approved triple therapy markedly reduced the abundance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus…

A new study suggests that the use of anti-inflammatory medications to modulate immune signaling proteins in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) may potentially reduce bacteria and avoid antibiotic resistance. Researchers found that different bacteria in the airways of CF patients induced the release of varying signaling proteins, called cytokines,…

Higher weight in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) at 1 year of age, and increasing weight gain from ages 1 through 5, were correlated significantly with better lung function at age 6, according to an analysis of two large  registries. Current guidelines may need to be updated to encourage…