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Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common chronic, life-shortening genetic condition affecting young Australians. There is no cure but researchers are working to prevent the onset of lung disease.

Characteristics, treatment and lung function outcomes of pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis: insights from the BEAT-CF cohort

Pulmonary exacerbations pose a significant clinical burden on people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Whether management of exacerbations should change in the context of modulator therapy is unclear. We describe the characteristics, treatment and lung function outcomes of pulmonary exacerbations requiring intravenous antibiotic therapy (PERITs) in a contemporary Australian cohort of pwCF, in an era of rapidly broadening access to modulator therapy.

The feasibility of using electrical impedance tomography to guide positive pressure airway clearance in children with cystic fibrosis and tracheobronchomalacia

Positive expiratory pressure devices are frequently used for airway clearance in children with cystic fibrosis and tracheobronchomalacia. This study aimed to establish if electrical impedance tomography is a feasible measure to titrate pressures in non-sedated children.

Improving screening in a paediatric cohort for cystic fibrosis-related diabetes: A quality improvement project

André Schultz MBChB, PhD, FRACP Head, BREATH Team Head, BREATH Team Prof André Schultz is the Head, BREATH Team at The Kids Research Institute

Lentiviral vector gene therapy and CFTR modulators show comparable effectiveness in cystic fibrosis rat airway models

Mutation-agnostic treatments such as airway gene therapy have the potential to treat any individual with cystic fibrosis (CF), irrespective of their CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene variants. The aim of this study was to employ two CF rat models, Phe508del and CFTR knockout to assess the comparative effectiveness of CFTR modulators and lentiviral vector-mediated gene therapy. 

Early nasal microbiota and subsequent respiratory tract infections in infants with cystic fibrosis

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) drive lung function decline in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). While the respiratory microbiota is clearly associated with RTI pathogenesis in infants without CF, data on infants with CF is scarce. We compared nasal microbiota development between infants with CF and controls and assessed associations between early-life nasal microbiota, RTIs, and antibiotic treatment in infants with CF. 

The effect of inhaled hypertonic saline on lung structure in children aged 3-6 years with cystic fibrosis (SHIP-CT): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, controlled trial

In the Saline Hypertonic in Preschoolers (SHIP) study, inhaled 7% hypertonic saline improved the lung clearance index in children aged 3-6 years with cystic fibrosis, but it remained unclear whether improvement is also seen in structural lung disease. We aimed to assess the effect of inhaled hypertonic saline on chest CT imaging in children aged 3-6 years with cystic fibrosis.

Association between early respiratory viral infections and structural lung disease in infants with cystic fibrosis

Infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) develop structural lung disease early in life, and viral infections are associated with progressive lung disease. We hypothesized that the presence of respiratory viruses would be associated with structural lung disease on computed tomography (CT) of the chest in infants with CF.

Multilocus Sequence Typing Reveals Extensive Genetic Diversity of the Emerging Fungal Pathogen Scedosporium aurantiacum

Scedosporium spp. are the second most prevalent filamentous fungi after Aspergillus spp. recovered from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients in various regions of the world. Although invasive infection is uncommon prior to lung transplantation, fungal colonization may be a risk factor for invasive disease with attendant high mortality post-transplantation. Abundant in the environment, Scedosporium aurantiacum has emerged as an important fungal pathogen in a range of clinical settings.

A screening tool to identify risk for bronchiectasis progression in children with cystic fibrosis

The marked heterogeneity in cystic fibrosis (CF) disease complicates the selection of those most likely to benefit from existing or emergent treatments. We aimed to predict the progression of bronchiectasis in preschool children with CF.