CF hope lies with garlic

Once believed to ward off vampires, garlic has a long history of being used to mans’ advantage, and now scientists think that it may even help cystic fibrosis patients fight infection.

Used for gangrene, high blood pressure and to ward off colds - garlic could also be used for CF sufferers

Scientists at The University of Nottingham are leading a new pilot study to see if garlic holds the key to protecting cystic fibrosis patients from potentially fatal Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection - the most common form of infection in CF sufferers.

The research will examine how effective garlic’s ability to disrupt the communication system of the pathogen is. The garlic components inhibit a bacterial communication system called quorum sensing (QS). This is responsible for the germ forming tenacious colonies in the lungs called biofilms. The QS molecules also switch on bacterial weapons such as elastase - an enzyme which breaks down elastic tissue in the lung.

Dr Alan Smyth of the University’s School of Human Development, who is leading the project, said: “The beauty of this approach is that we may be able to render the germ harmless without killing it. If we use a conventional antibiotic which kills the Pseudomonas, there will always be some survivors, some of which may develop antibiotic resistance. The trick is not to allow Pseudomonas to use natural selection as a weapon against us.”

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition that affects around 7,000 people in the UK, half of whom are children. The disease causes difficulties in digesting food and children may be slow to put on weight and grow properly. Both children and adults with the condition are vulnerable to repeated and chronic chest infections which damage the lungs and which may, ultimately, be fatal.