CFMATTERS – Cystic Fibrosis research receives €6 million EU research award
An international consortium of Cystic Fibrosis clinicians and scientists, led by Dr Barry Plant of the College of Medicine and Health, Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) and the HRB- Clinical Research Facility, University College Cork/ Cork University Hospital, Ireland has launched a major EU-funded collaboration project focused on the development and trial of personalized antibiotic treatment for patients with CF during respiratory infections. CFMATTERS an acronym for ‘Cystic Fibrosis Microbiome-determined Antibiotic Therapy Trial in Exacerbations: Results Stratified’ will receive approximately €6 million in funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme.
Announcing the funding Dr Barry Plant, CFMATTERS coordinator and Director of the Adult CF Centre, Cork University Hospital commented, “CFMATTERS offers a personalized approach to antibiotic treatment. It will enhance individual patient responses and decrease drug resistance by employing next generation technologies. CFMATTERS brings together a powerhouse of international expert clinicians and scientists from across Europe, including the UK, Belgium, France, Germany and the USA to further enhance the understanding on how best to treat all chronic and acute infections. These academic institutions will also cooperate with small business enterprises including clinical data management specialists, Clininfo S.A. (France) and a research project management company, GABO:milliarium (Germany).”
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease which affects over 70,000 people worldwide and is particularly common in Ireland. Mucous builds up in the lungs of affected individuals and very often this mucous can become contaminated with bacteria. While the care of cystic fibrosis patients has improved dramatically in recent years, these infections remain a very difficult problem to resolve and 90% of patients die prematurely from respiratory infections.
APC researchers Professors Fergus Shanahan and Colin Hill in UCC and Professors Catherine Stanton and Paul Ross and Dr Mary Rea in Teagasc Agriculture and Food Development Authority, will use next generation DNA sequencing of the bacteria in CF patient mucus samples to guide and personalize antibiotic treatment in the trial. In parallel they will analyse the microbiome DNA of bacteria resident in both the gut and mucus of patients.
Mr. Philip Watt, CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland stated, “This is a tremendous opportunity for Ireland to become a world leader in Cystic Fibrosis care and drug resistance. The success of CFMATTERS will have important positive implications for all patients with CF and their families”. Denis Coughlan an Irish patient with Cystic Fibrosis added, “This new approach to treating infection, I believe offers all patients a new radical approach with potentially significant benefits”.
Contact details:
Project Coordinator Project Manager
Dr Barry Plant Ms Claudia Speiser
Phone: +353 214922327 Phone : +49 8928810416
Email: b.plant@ucc.ie Email: Claudia.Speiser@gabo-mi.com
13 September 2013
