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Cystic fibrosis (CF)

Our troyhorse warriors have a plan!!!

70,000 people with CF worldwide, a lifespan depending of the resources (in USA the lifespan it’s about 40 years old, while in Chile the average lifespan it’s about 18 years old).

It’s a disease caused by the expression of a deficient transmembrane protein called CFTR. This affects different kind of cells, mainly the epithelial cells from the airway and pancreas, causing the production of a defective mucus.

In the lungs, this defective mucus leads that several opportunistic pathogens enter to the lower airway and initiate an infection, with a consecutively progressive lung dysfunction.

One of the main pathogens found in an infection of the lungs are the Pseudomonas aeruginosa. When it colonize the airway, initiates the production of biofilm, a barrier that protect it of a lot of antimicrobial substances and gave best environment for it develop.

The actual treatments for controlling the symptoms consist in maintain controlled the pathogens, clear the airway of the sticky mucus, administrate complementary enzymes and regulate the function of the CFTR channel.

References

http://redsalud.uc.cl/ucchristus/vidasaludable/glosario/F/fibrosis_quistica.act

http://www.fibrosisquisticadelpancreas.cl/noticias/10-generales/16-ministro-de-salud-inauguro-congreso-de-actualizacion-en-fibrosis-quistica-.html

http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0370-41062014000300003

http://www.cff.org/

Taylor Sitarik Cohen & Alice Prince. Cystic fibrosis: a mucosal immunodeficiency syndrome (doi:10.1038/nm.2715)

We propose smart warriors E. coli for the battle against the P. aeruginosa. We are training them now, teaching the action plan!!! Pay attention:

1. The first part of the plan is simple: looking for the Biofilm fortress.

We have to find our enemy. Our warriors will enter to the fortress been guide by the clues left by our enemies, the Pseudomonas aeruguinosa.

2. Well, here we are… it’s time to start the part II:

Our E. coli Troyhorse now know they are in the zone. It’s time to start the attack. Our enemy are protected by his thick barrier and our warriors know his weak point.

3. They are under attack!!! Pseudomonas are communicating themselves to rebuild the biofilm:

We have to cut the communications between the Pseudomonas as an intelligent strategy. The biofilm it’s a community work. If they can´t send signals, they won’t work in community.

4. Say goodbye everybody, the antibiotics are now available:

There’s no protection of the biofilm. Both P. aeruginosa and our E. coli Troyhorse are exposed to the final cut… a massive antibiotic attack!!!