The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW) has launched a world-first clinical trial that could change the lives of children living with cystic fibrosis (CF) – including 12-year-old Abby Thorpe.
Diagnosed with CF when she was born, Abby later contracted the Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in 2019, a chronic bacterial infection common in children with CF.
Hailing from outback NSW, Abby and her mum, Chloe Brown, currently have to travel eight hours to the CHW biannually for a two-week planned hospitalisation where she receives strong IV antibiotics to help treat the infections.
She is among almost one in four CF patients impacted by the infection.
“When my lung capacity is low because of the infection, it feels like I can’t really breathe as much as normal, and my lungs feel really tight,” Abby said.
“It’s hard being away from my friends at home and school when I need treatment, but I have developed really good relationships with the nurses at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.”
But now, there’s hope.
Abby has just become the first patient to be enrolled in a CHW trial, which will investigate the use of phage therapy to treat the chronic bacterial infection in children with CF. If the trial is successful, it could see Abby spend less time in hospital and alleviate her dependence on antibiotics.
For Brown, it would make a huge impact on both her and her daughter’s lives.
“While it was initially a bit nerve-racking to be the first, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to try this new treatment option that may be able to keep Abby healthier for the future, and she experienced no negative side effects during the treatment,” Brown said.
“If successful, it will hopefully mean less visits to the hospital and the possibility of receiving treatment at home in future, which would make a big difference to our lives.”
The trial will use bacteria-eliminating viral treatments called phages to treat children with CF who have the chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
The CHW said it’s the first major step in demonstrating the suitability of phages as a routine treatment for chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial infection in children with CF.
Leading the trial is Dr Jagdev Singh, Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Consultant at the CHW, supported by the Team Simon Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis.
“Phages are specific and specialised viruses that can be exactly matched to eliminate bacteria without harming human cells,” Singh said.
“If successful, this could offer a potentially lifesaving treatment for children with CF who have a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, helping to alleviate dependence on antibiotic use and as a result, reduce hospital visits due to infection.”
If successful, the trial will then expand nationally and internationally, before furthering the treatment to target other bacteria that causes lung damage in patients with CF.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.