For people with cystic fibrosis, lung infections are a constant threat. The genetic disorder leaves thick, sticky mucus stuck inside the lungs, which traps bacteria and causes repeat infections that can do permanent damage. Now, researchers in Australia say a powerful new tool could change everything: reading the DNA of those germs to find infections faster and pick the right treatment more precisely.
Scientists at Flinders University in Adelaide are using DNA sequencing to identify infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Instead of waiting days for traditional lab tests, DNA sequencing can detect what's causing an infection in hours. It also spots antibiotic-resistant germs that older methods often miss.
"DNA sequencing is a powerful tool that can monitor these microbial changes, detect infections more rapidly than traditional laboratory methods and identify antimicrobial resistance," said Dr. Jessica Carlson- Jones, a research associate at Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration.
The research, published in the journal Clinical Microbiology Reviews, comes at an important moment. New CFTR modulator therapies have dramatically improved life for many people with cystic fibrosis. But researchers are still learning how these treatments change the mix of microbes living in patients' lungs over time. That's where DNA sequencing steps in.
Professor Rob Edwards, who leads the research group at Flinders University's College of Science and Engineering, said the technology is revealing that cystic fibrosis infections don't come from just one germ. "Rather than viewing cystic fibrosis infections as being caused by a single pathogen, sequencing has revealed that the lungs contain complex microbial communities of bacteria, viruses and fungi," he said.
One of the most exciting possibilities involves tiny, portable sequencing devices. Some are no bigger than a cellphone and can plug into a laptop, bringing fast DNA testing to hospitals, rural clinics, and remote communities. In the United Kingdom, hospitals are already using respiratory metagenomic sequencing in intensive care units to diagnose severe lung infections faster and guide treatment decisions.
"It will take further testing for sequencing to become part of routine clinical practice in Australia, but it has great promise in transforming the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases as well as cystic fibrosis," Carlson-Jones said.
The team says the same technology could eventually help doctors across many diseases, not just cystic fibrosis. By reading the DNA of germs in a patient's body, doctors could choose the exact right antibiotic sooner, avoiding long courses of drugs that can harm the body's helpful bacteria. As the tools get smaller and faster, the researchers believe DNA sequencing could become a regular part of how infections are diagnosed everywhere from city hospitals to outback health clinics.