Accelerating research into treatments for lung infections
Researchers developing new ways to treat lung infections in people with CF need to be sure that medicines that work in the lab will also be effective in people.
One way to do this is to make sure the lab tests are done on the specific strains, or ‘variants’, of infection-causing bugs that are present in people with CF. The variants are so specific that it isn’t possible to buy them to study in the lab. This makes it difficult for researchers to get hold of them and underlines the value of people with CF providing sputum samples to help research. The bugs can be grown in the lab from the sputum samples and stored for use in research studies. They’re known as clinical isolates.
The CF AMR Syndicate improves access to samples
The CF AMR Syndicate is an initiative that brings together leading experts in CF and antimicrobial resistance from industry, academia and the clinic, with people with CF. The aim is to bring new and effective ways to diagnose and treat lung infections to people with CF more quickly. The Syndicate is jointly managed by the Trust, Medicines Discovery Catapult and LifeArc.
To help researchers access the samples they need to test their medicines, the CF AMR Syndicate created a virtual biobank of samples, known as the CF AMR Syndicate Biorepository Network.
It brings together a group of university, hospital and public health laboratories from across the UK to form a network, which then provides a range of samples and data to researchers seeking to develop new medicines and tests for CF lung infections.
Through the biorepository, researchers can also access expert scientific advice on how to run their studies and, in some cases, this has led to collaborations that drive the research further.
As a parent of a child with CF it was wonderful to experience this team’s joint goal of sharing samples with CF researchers. It gave me hope that eventually something positive can come from a tough day in hospital, and that the samples we share are in good hands.
Gillian, CF community representative of the CF AMR Syndicate Biorepository Network.
The Syndicate has also created a “pick and mix” panel of some of the most common CF infection causing bugs for researchers just starting out, which is kept at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for easy access; as well as a strain guidance document that provides helpful guidance on bug strains to choose for robust testing.
Learn more about the impact of the biorepository network
Getting the best use out of the samples
Funding from the Trust’s Venture and Innovation Award scheme has allowed the centres to find out more about the strains of bugs in their collection, for example learning more about the genetics of the bugs.
They have also been able to carry on adding new samples and sample types (for example blood, urine and breath) from people with CF into their store of samples. The new samples will be very valuable in the future, as the infections people with CF grow are likely to change over time. This is especially true of CF infections in people with CF on CFTR modulator medicines.
For more examples of how our research is accelerating progress towards a life unlimited for everyone with CF, read our 2026 research impact report.
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