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Signaling molecule PI5P shows promise for treating CF infections

Scientists have discovered a potential therapy for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients who are infected with Mycobacterium abscessus, a bacterium that can cause serious lung infections. They found that a signaling molecule called PI5P can boost the antimicrobial activity of immune cells isolated from patients against the bacterium. This happens even…

MRSA infections linked to worse outcomes for children with CF

In young children with cystic fibrosis (CF), infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are linked to more antibiotic use, worse lung function, and more lung damage by early school age, according to a study led by researchers in Brazil. Because infections with MRSA appear to indicate more severe disease…

Personalized phage therapy boosts CF lung function in small study

A personalized inhaled phage therapy targeting multidrug-resistant lung infections significantly reduces bacterial load and improves lung function in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to a small study. The experimental therapy was personalized by selecting phages that worked best against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains in patients’ sputum samples. It…

Metered-dose inhalers for CF meds are bad for environment: Study

Metered-dose inhalers that use potent greenhouse gases to propel medicines into the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) have the worst environmental impact across all types of inhalers, according to a new study from researchers in Spain. The team noted that propellants in metered-dose inhalers are hydrofluorocarbons, potent…

Kaftrio reduces liver fibrosis in CF children: Real-world study

At least three months of Kaftrio treatment reduced liver stiffness, an indicator of liver fibrosis, in school-age children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to a real-world study in Sweden. The benefits were particularly prominent among children who had signs of CF-related liver disease (CFLD) before starting Kaftrio,…