2019-20 Innovation Fund Awards

Building on new drug treatments which are now available for around half of people with cystic fibrosis in the UK, this £11,900 award investigates other potential impacts of these novel therapies on bacteria in the lung and body composition.

Data from existing patients at Nottingham University Hospital’s Wolfson Cystic Fibrosis Centre will be analysed to investigate potential links with body composition, lung function, and bacterial profiling in the lung. Researchers expect most impacts to be positive, but could also show whether there is any increase in fat deposition and potential risk of developing diabetes.

The study is led by NUH respiratory consultant Dr Helen Barr in collaboration with Dr Ken Bruce at King’s College, London. The study will measure bacterial numbers and function in sputum samples before and during treatment with these new treatments, Orkambi® and Symkevi®, (Vertex Pharmaceuticals), which received NICE approval for NHS use last year.

These new treatments work by correcting impaired salt transport across epithelial cells expressed in the lung and gut in people with CF, which cause chronic lung infection and gastro-intestinal disease.  It is anticipated that stored samples from this study will lead onto further investigation of bacterial behaviour in the CF lung during treatment with modulator therapies.