Impact of Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor Therapy on the Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbial Metagenome

• DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01454-22
• Publication Date: 2022-09-26T13:10:29Z
• Authors: Sophia T. Pallenberg; Marie-Madlen Pust; Ilona Rosenboom; Gesine Hansen; Lutz Wiehlmann; Anna-Maria Dittrich; Burkhard Tümmler
• Keywords: metagenomics; 0303 health sciences; Cystic Fibrosis; Adolescent; CFTR modulation; Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator; Microbiology; QR1-502; 3. Good health; cystic fibrosis; 03 medical and health sciences; whole-genome sequencing; Mutation; Quality of Life; Humans; Metagenome; Chloride Channel Agonists; Child; ELX/TEZ/IVA; airway metagenome; Research Article

Shotgun metagenome sequencing of respiratory secretions with spike-in controls for normalization demonstrated that 1 year of high-efficient CFTR modulation with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor extensively reduced the bacterial load. Longer observation periods will be necessary to resolve whether the partial reversion of the basic defect that is achieved with ELX/TEZ/IVA is sufficient in the long run to render the CF lungs robust against the recolonization with common opportunistic pathogens.