CHIP-CF
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Phage therapeutics and application in Cystic Fibrosis.
Supported by
A child with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) has a significantly shorter lifespan than their peers. Children with CF require repeated treatment with antibiotics to keep infections at bay, however many of the superbugs are resistant to antibiotic treatment, making them very difficult to treat. Phages are able to attack these resistant bacteria. CHIP-CF will find phages that can destroy the superbugs affecting children with CF and use them as part of the treatment regime, making it much safer and more effective than antibiotics.
The antibiotics used to treat the dangerous bacteria that infect children with CF often have toxic side effects. Furthermore, frequently the superbugs that they are treating have developed resistance and remain unaffected by the antibiotics. Researchers have failed to find new antibiotics for several decades.
“The problem is bacteria tend to evolve, but antibiotics is not evolving as fast as bacteria. We are not able to catch up,” said Dr Jagdev Singh, Respiratory Fellow at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Phages are viral organisms that can attack bacteria, have existed for billions of years. If they can be harnessed, the lives of children with CF could be transformed.
“Kids, particularly kids with CF, really need this research because if we can provide them with suitable phages we can actually reduce the duration of infection that they have, and therefore if we can actually do that at the early part of their lives while they are still children or adolescents, as they get into adulthood this is going to actually help them not only improve their lung function and quality of life but also prolong their life,” said Dr Singh.
CHIP-CF will establish a repository of phages to be used for treatment and to be shared with other clinicians and researchers in Australia and globally. In the future, these phages will not only help children with cystic fibrosis but also help anyone facing a life-threatening superbug infection.
Further, this research will not be limited only to children with CF. As superbug infections increase, they will undoubtedly affect anyone regardless of their age, nationality or health status. Safe phage therapy may be our only viable option to tackle these dangerous bacteria.
Hear more from Dr Jagdev Singh.
The antibiotics used to treat the dangerous bacteria that infect children with CF often have toxic side effects. Furthermore, frequently the superbugs that they are treating have developed resistance and remain unaffected by the antibiotics. Researchers have failed to find new antibiotics for several decades.
“The problem is bacteria tend to evolve, but antibiotics is not evolving as fast as bacteria. We are not able to catch up,” said Dr Jagdev Singh, Respiratory Fellow at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Phages are viral organisms that can attack bacteria, have existed for billions of years. If they can be harnessed, the lives of children with CF could be transformed.
“Kids, particularly kids with CF, really need this research because if we can provide them with suitable phages we can actually reduce the duration of infection that they have, and therefore if we can actually do that at the early part of their lives while they are still children or adolescents, as they get into adulthood this is going to actually help them not only improve their lung function and quality of life but also prolong their life,” said Dr Singh.
CHIP-CF will establish a repository of phages to be used for treatment and to be shared with other clinicians and researchers in Australia and globally. In the future, these phages will not only help children with cystic fibrosis but also help anyone facing a life-threatening superbug infection.
Further, this research will not be limited only to children with CF. As superbug infections increase, they will undoubtedly affect anyone regardless of their age, nationality or health status. Safe phage therapy may be our only viable option to tackle these dangerous bacteria.
Hear more from Dr Jagdev Singh.
Funds raised
$500,000
Project team
- Dr Jagdev Singh, Current Respiratory Fellow, Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW). PhD Candidate and Associate Clinical Lecturer at the University of Sydney.
- Professor Hiran Selvadurai, Head of Respiratory Medicine, CHW. Senior Staff Specialist and medical clinical lead for Paediatric Lung Transplant, CHW.
- Dr Ameneh Khatami, Clinical Academic, Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, CHW. Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney.
The team will collaborate with a broad network of respiratory specialists, infectious disease specialists and phage researchers at the University of Monash, the University of Sydney and other colleagues in Australia and worldwide.
