Understanding early life trajectories in cystic fibrosis (CF)

Increasing evidence suggests that irreversible, progressive lung disease begins in the very early years of life for patients with CF however the exact mechanism(s) that drive this damage, and who is at risk, are still largely unknown. A significant limitation to early disease detection has been the lack of feasible and sensitive measures available for use in very young patients. In 2020 we commenced the Early Life Origins of CF Disease (ELO) study; a 5-year longitudinal study aimed at improving clinical outcome measures across the lifespan and disease severity of CF. We recruited 238 children (aged 3 months – 18 years) with novel data collected at routine clinic visits and annual reviews (~513 patient-years of data). This project provides an opportunity to apply advanced statistical and epidemiological methods to explore trajectories of CF lung disease through accelerated longitudinal analysis. Ultimately, this will help us identify critical ages for assessing potential high-risk events (like exacerbations) that initiate or progress structural lung damage.  

This research is led by Dr Tamara Blake.