Congratulations to Dr Jagdev (Dev) Singh, who has been awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to continue his pioneering work in phage therapy for the treating antibiotic-resistant infections in children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF)!  

The successful clinical trial, generously funded by our partners Cure4CF, used phage therapy to treat children with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a particularly difficult to manage infection. Kids with CF are much more likely than other children to suffer from repeated and severe lung infections, and while repeated rounds of antibiotics can help keep infections at bay, many of these superbugs are resistant to antibiotic treatments and are potentially life-threatening. 

With the support of Cure 4 CF, Dr Singh and his team have been developing treatments using Phages, which are viruses that have evolved to be able to attack antibiotic resistant bacteria. Phages, or Bacteriophages, occur everywhere in nature and have evolved alongside bacteria for billions of years. Where a bacteria can evolve resistance to antibiotics it cannot easily do so to a Phage as the virus can evolve to compensate for the bacteria’s defences. 

Thanks to Cure4CF, Dr Singh was able to recruit three participants and undertake a world-first clinical trial using phage therapy on these children’s infections. 

Results of the trial have been very positive, with all patients treated so far using phage therapy remaining infection-free, and Dr Singh plans to continue his work to make this revolutionary therapy available for more children across Australia.  

This partnership and these results are testament to what the power of philanthropy can achieve to change the future for sick kids.

Learn more about this incredible trial and the impact it is having on kids today.