Grant funds cystic fibrosis research

Four University of Alberta laboratories will be sharing their insights and research to examine the role the immune system plays in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Doctors Marek Duszyk, Edan Foley, Randall Irvin and John Vederas will use $184,651 in Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funding over three years to examine models of bacterial lung infection in cystic fibrosis and the effects of therapy with antimicrobial peptides.

"In normal circumstances, inflammation is thought to be a good thing because it fights infection," said Duszyk. "But in cystic fibrosis, inflammation is out of control and it becomes a vicious cycle. It does far more damage than it benefits the host. Being able to downgrade inflammation is thought to be very beneficial, at least in the short term while we don't know how to treat the infected gene."

Duszyk, a professor in pulmonary medicine will work with Vederas, a chemist, and microbiologists Irvin and Foley to find ways to deal with inflammation.

"Dr. Vederas is a chemist who has been interested in antimicrobial peptides for years. He's an expert in this field. He has been synthesizing these peptides for use in the food preservation industry and they're thought to be very antibacterial," said Duszyk. "But while we're very interested in the effects these peptides could have on cystic fibrosis epithelial cells, we also have to determine the effect they'll have on healthy cells."

Cystic fibrosis is the most common, fatal genetic disease affecting young Canadians. The disease affects primarily the lungs and the digestive system, causing severe breathing problems and hindering the body's ability to absorb nutrients during digestion.

Understanding the role of the immune system in lung disease is the focus of the new research projects funded through a $4.5 million partnership between the CIHR Institutes of Infection and Immunity and Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health, AllerGen, a network of Centres of Excellence based at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF). The new research initiatives were announced just in time for both Allergy/Asthma and Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Awareness Months and will focus on developing a better understanding of the ways in which people respond to exposure to infectious agents in the lungs.

While controlling inflammation isn't seen as a potential cure for CF, it could make a big difference in the quality of life of those who live with the disease, said Duszyk.

"It could both keep people from needing a lung transplant and it could keep those who are awaiting transplants alive longer," he said. "Even after transplantation, patients are often dealing with perpetual inflammation and this treatment could be very beneficial for them."