CF Trust awards new research grants

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust has awarded £188,000 to four new research projects aimed at benefiting those with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).

Dr Eshwar Mahenthiralingam and his team at the Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University have been awarded £45,000 to investigate a bacterial infection called Burkholderia multivorans that causes lung damage, a reduction in lung function and a shortened life expectancy for those with Cystic Fibrosis.

Scientists at Queen’s University, Belfast led by Dr Lorraine Martin have received £50,000 for a research project aimed at investigating dehydration in the lungs of people with Cystic Fibrosis.

Professor Bob Ford at The University of Manchester has been awarded £75,000 for a project aimed at studying the activity of the CFTR protein by understanding how it is built and how it works. CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) is the protein that controls the movement of chloride through the lining of the cells. It is the faulty CFTR that causes the problems in Cystic Fibrosis by not working at all, or not working enough.

A grant has been awarded to scientists at the University of Exeter led by Dr Alan Brown to investigate the relationship between patients who have Cystic Fibrosis-related diabetes, and a particular lung infection called Burkholderia cepacia. This research was funded by the University of Exeter's 2009 studentship campaign in conjunction with an £18,000 research grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

These four new projects will be running alongside the other research currently funded by the CF Trust into areas such as gene therapy, early detection of lung disease in infants, transplantation, depression in people with CF, inflammation and drug treatments.