Airway microbiome linked to cystic fibrosis outcomes

Low microbiome diversity in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients' lower respiratory tract predicts progression to early end-stage lung disease and faster lung-function decline, according to new research.

"We observed that CF young adults with low microbiome diversity, dominated by the archetypal CF pathogen P. aeruginosa, are more likely to proceed to [early end-stage disease] and/or subsequently experience exaggerated lung function decline," Dr Michael Parkins of the University of Calgary, Canada, and colleagues write in Thorax.

"Conversely, those with a diverse community,