CF Foundation invests over $7M to support phage therapy development
Virus-based treatments may help CF patients with Pseudomonas infections
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is investing up to €6.5 million (about $7.6 million) to support the development of virus-based therapies to treat Pseudomonas infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF).
The funding to Snipr Biome — which plans to use gene editing technology to improve the viruses’ ability to infect and kill these bacteria – will advance such treatments, known as phage therapy, for CF patients. Pseudomonas bacteria are a key driver of lung infections in individuals with CF.
“Our investment could help us better understand whether Snipr’s approach can effectively overcome certain challenges when trying to eliminate chronic airway infections,” Dave Nichols, MD, the foundation’s senior director of clinical research development, said in a press release announcing the investment.
CF is characterized by abnormally thick and sticky mucus that builds up in the body’s organs. In the lungs, this thick mucus provides a fertile breeding ground for infectious bacteria, and as such, lung infections are a common health problem among people with CF.
A type of bacteria known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the second-most common cause of lung infections in CF, according to the foundation. Such infections are often difficult to manage, typically requiring regular inhaled antibiotics that are time-consuming and expensive to use.
Bacteriophages, known as phages for short, are viruses that can infect and kill bacteria. In recent years, researchers have been increasingly interested in the possibility of using phages to treat bacterial infections: The basic idea is to develop a virus that can effectively kill the bacteria without harming human cells.
Goal is to develop phage cocktail able to target 90% of Pseudomonas
The CF Foundation has invested millions over the last few years into the development of phage therapies designed to treat Pseudomonas lung infections in people with CF. Early clinical data with some phage therapies have shown promise.
With the new funding, Snipr will be working to develop a phage cocktail to treat Pseudomonas. The company plans to start with Pseudomonas bacteria isolated from people with CF and other lung diseases, which will be grown in a lab environment that mimics the human lung.
Among all phages tested, the company’s scientists will look for those that are best able to infect and kill the bacteria.
For that, Snipr plans to use specific binding sites on the surface of bacteria to improve the phages’ ability to infect them. Then, the company will use genetic engineering to fine-tune the activity of those phages and optimize their ability to destroy the infectious bacteria.
Engineered phages seek to build upon successes already observed with naturally derived phages and may be the next evolution in understanding the full potential for phage therapy in cystic fibrosis.
According to Snipr, this is particularly important for bacteria associated with clusters called biofilms — layers of microorganisms that stick together on wet surfaces as a protective mechanism.
“Engineered phages seek to build upon successes already observed with naturally derived phages and may be the next evolution in understanding the full potential for phage therapy in cystic fibrosis or similar airway diseases,” Nichols said.
The ultimate goal is to develop a cocktail of phages that is able to target more than 90% of Pseudomonas strains tested, which can then be brought into clinical testing.
No further details were provided as to the implementation of the funding, nor its timeline.
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