Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs) are among the most frequent bacterial species in the European population with cystic fibrosis (CF) and can cause chronic lung disease, which currently lacks viable treatment options.

This project, a continuation of previous projects FFC#23/2020 and FFC#7/2022, aims to understand the differences between the immune system’s response to NTMs in people with and without CF. The researchers hypothesise that people with CF have a unique immune response that may influence disease progression.
Furthermore, the researchers will study how CF lung cells react when infected with NTM compared to non-CF lung cells.
Early findings suggest that people with CF have an overactive immune response to NTM infections, which might contribute to lung inflammation and damage.
Researchers will use RNA sequencing techniques to analyse the transcriptome of immune cells from people with and without CF. They will then analyse lung tissue from donors with and without CF who have NMT infections, obtained through FFC Ricerca’s Primary Culture Service, to identify the key differences.

The findings could help to identify markers of infection severity and guide personalised treatments, advancing our knowledge on CF-related lung infections and paving the way for more effective therapies.