The effect of non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae on the microbiology of the cystic fibrosis lung

不可分型的流感嗜血杆菌是一种研究相对不足的“早期”病原体，它会寄居在囊性纤维化（CF）患者的肺部，这种疾病会导致肺部粘稠粘液的积聚。在CF中，H.流感是最早侵入肺部的病原体之一，在晚期之前，更严重的病原体如铜绿假单胞菌是威胁生命的。因此，H.在我的博士学位期间，我使用离体猪肺模型作为人类呼吸道的真实模型，结合合成CF痰培养基来模拟CF痰的营养成分。猪的组织是来自肉类工业的废物，所以这个模型是合乎道德的。我将用这个模型来回答有关H。流感嗜血杆菌改变其生理和代谢，在肺部持续存在并抵抗抗生素治疗，并探讨是否早期感染H。对CF肺中早期细菌定植者的了解，如不可分型的H。随着越来越多的CF患者接受治疗和调节剂治疗，预防晚期病原体进展为“经典”慢性感染，流感变得越来越重要。因此，了解早期病原体感染的生理学和生态学将有助于阐明H。流感病毒改变CF疾病进展的过程。"

"Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae is a relatively understudied "early" pathogen that colonises the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), a disease leading to the build-up of viscous mucus within the lungs. In CF, H. influenzae is one of the first pathogens to invade the lungs prior to later stage, more severe pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa which are life-threatening. As such, H. influenzae may be paving the way for these later stage pathogens to colonise the lungs.Within my PhD, I am using an ex-vivo pig lung model as a realistic model for the human respiratory tract, combined with synthetic CF sputum media to mimic the nutritional composition of CF sputum. The pig tissue is waste from the meat industry, so the model is ethical. I will use this model to answer key questions relating to how H. influenzae changes its physiology and metabolism to persist in the lungs and resist antibiotic treatment, and to explore whether early infection by H. influenzae makes it easier for other pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa to invade the lungs.An understanding of early bacterial colonisers in the CF lung, such as non-typeable H. influenzae, becomes increasingly important as more people with CF receive treatment and modulator therapy that should prevent progress to "classic" chronic infection with later stage pathogens. As such, the understanding of the physiology and ecology of early-stage pathogen infection will help to shed light on how H. influenzae alters the course of CF disease progression."