Cystic Fibrosis

It is known that people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) have higher levels of glucose in their lungs than those unaffected and CF-related diabetes develops in 50% of adults with CF. Glucose is a vital energy source for humans and bacteria alike. Glucose is important for the bacteria that cause lung infections and for the white blood cells (phagocytes) that try to kill them. Glucose is a critical energy source for bacteria and is associated with an increased risk of infection in CF patients. In contrast, glucose is also an important energy source for white blood cells which protect the body from infection.

Dr James Garnett from Newcastle University was awarded a fellowship to understand how glucose levels are controlled in the airways to provide the correct balance – enough to allow white blood cells to fight infection, but not so much that it creates a favourable environment for bacterial survival and growth. This research is crucial in determining the role glucose plays during lung infections in people with CF and modulating glucose levels may prove to be a novel therapeutic approach to CF.