Why is cystic fibrosis so hard to treat?

There’s still no cure for cystic fibrosis. Despite improved treatments lengthening patient lifespans, a CF patient born between 2013–17 in the UK has an average life expectancy below 50. Between 60–80% of people with cystic fibrosis suffer chronic respiratory infections, commonly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Once the lungs are infected, the bacteria differentiate rapidly into sub-strains, develop resistance to antibiotics and become difficult to treat. Current antibiotic treatment strategies are equivalent to nuking the entire site from orbit, an approach which causes severe side effects, and in many cases the bacteria persist.

Fortunately, scientists are finding new ways to model bacterial behaviour in infected lungs and gain insights into how infections take hold and resist treatment. These findings have the potential to help CF patients live longer and healthier lives.