A targeted novel therapy for cystic fibrosis lung infections

Project Duration – 2 years

Dr Sha Liu from The University of Adelaide is leading innovative research to tackle chronic, hard-to-treat lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis.

Some of the most dangerous bacteria, like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can become resistant to even the strongest antibiotics. This leads to ongoing infections that are difficult to treat and have a major impact on quality of life.

Dr Liu’s team is developing a new kind of inhalable treatment called Phage-LumenGel — the first of its kind in the world. It’s a “triple-action” gel designed to:

• Move easily through the thick mucus in the lungs
• Release special viruses called bacteriophages that break down bacterial biofilms (the slimy layers that protect bacteria)
• Deliver a helper compound that can be turned “on” when needed to kill any remaining bacteria.

In this project, the team will:

• Develop and test Phage-LumenGel to ensure it is safe to inhale, stable, and effective at reaching bacteria trapped in mucus
• Assess its safety and performance using advanced lung organoids—miniaturised, lab-grown versions of human lungs derived from patient cells that closely mimic real lung tissue—alongside proven animal models.

Why is Phage-LumenGel needed?

Current treatments often can’t reach the bacteria trapped in the thick lung mucus, and over time these bacteria adapt and form protective biofilms that help them avoid our body’s defence systems and antibiotic treatment. With the global rise in antibiotic resistance, new therapies are urgently needed. Phage-LumenGel aims to tackle this by penetrating mucus, attacking bacteria in multiple ways, reducing reliance on antibiotics, and most importantly, preventing bacteria becoming resistant to the phage. By the end of the project, the team hopes to have a formula ready for early human trials.  Ultimately, this treatment is intended to combat hard-to-treat infections, reduce hospital stays and treatment costs, and improve quality of life.

What is unique about this project?

This project develops Phage-LumenGel, the first inhaled therapy to tackle drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis. It works in three ways: special phages glide through thick mucus and break open protective biofilms, replicate inside bacteria to amplify killing, and a compound that delivers a final burst of antibacterial killing, wiping out any bacteria that survive the phage attack and reducing the chance of phage-resistant strains developing, while the gel ensures the therapy remains concentrated in the lungs. Early lab tests show it can dramatically reduce bacterial levels, and this project will move to test the treatment in advanced lung models which are the essential next step testing before clinical trials. This multi-action, targeted approach represents a completely new way to treat chronic, antibiotic-resistant lung infections.

What will be the pathway to moving this therapy into the clinic?

This project will deliver a Phage-LumenGel, with full safety and efficacy data and ready for production and testing in a phase 1 clinical trial. Alongside clinical trial assessment, the team will begin regulatory engagement which is the process any new medicine needs to go through to be approved for use in Australia. The team aims to enrol the first patient within eighteen months, generating clinical evidence to support future approval and access for people with cystic fibrosis.

About Dr. Sha Liu

Dr. Sha Liu is a research leader in phage therapy and antimicrobial innovation at The University of Adelaide. She leads this project, specialising in developing next-generation treatments for drug-resistant lung infections, and is driving the translation of this therapy toward clinical benefit for people with cystic fibrosis.

Her research harnesses bacteriophages and mRNA technologies to develop smarter therapies for some of the world’s most pressing health challenges, including drug-resistant infections and cancer.

• Re-imagining vaccines and mRNA therapeutics to make them more precise, scalable, and effective.
• Advancing phage therapy as a viable alternative to antibiotics in the fight against superbugs.
• Engineering phage-based delivery systems to target therapeutic molecules directly to diseased cells.
• Transforming phage biomanufacturing for cost-effective, clinical-ready production.

By bridging cutting-edge biotechnology with real-world medicine, Dr Liu is building a pipeline of next-generation therapies that could redefine how we treat infections and cancer—while positioning South Australia at the forefront of global health innovation.