Impact of S. aureus on the outcome of chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis – ChronoSTA

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most frequent severe recessive disorder in European populations. In France, Staphylococcus aureus (Sa) dominates the lung microbiota of CF children and is able to persist for years in the lung. To date, the exact contribution of Sa to the decline of respiratory function in children with CF is not elucidated. In our recent publication and preliminary data, we observed that Sa adapted variants, having lost toxins expression ability, exhibit an unexpected increased capacity to promote inflammation. By in-depth characterization of inflammatory properties of Sa isolates recovered from CF patients and host inflammatory response, this project will define the precise role of Sa in the worsening of lung function in the context of CF. The coordinator, who is a physician, will take advantage of her privileged access to biological samples of CF patients and of her on-going collaborations with renowned experts in the fields of CF management and in multi-omics analysis.