The team has discovered numerous phages in wastewater samples that are effective against antibiotic-resistant CF pathogens, and they aim to develop synergistic treatment cocktails. Postdoc Dr. Sage Dunham and graduate student Alisha Monsibais played a critical role in generating the preliminary data that led to the success of the application. By combining phages, antibiotics and small molecule adjuvants, they hope to overcome the challenges of persistent infections. These treatment cocktails will be tested under various growth conditions, including those simulating the CF airway environment.
The project’s objectives include developing broad and personalized therapeutic cocktails, advancing understanding of phage and combinatorial therapies, and studying microbe-to-microbe interactions. Successful completion of this research could lead to routine treatment of recalcitrant airway infections in cystic fibrosis patients and have implications for managing antibiotic-resistant infections in general.
Professor Whiteson and her team’s dedication to advancing innovative treatment options offers hope to cystic fibrosis patients and represents a significant milestone in CF research.