In our 20th year as Cure4CF, and during CF Awareness Month, I have found myself reflecting more than usual on the ideas that stay with you long after you first come across them. There are some ideas in science that stay with you the moment you hear them. For me, bacteriophages were one of those.

A decade ago, the idea of using bacteriophages—viruses that naturally kill bacteria—to treat chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) was considered experimental at best. Antibiotics dominated care, even as resistance steadily grew. Today, that early promise of those first proof of concept studies has evolved into something far more powerful: an evidence-driven pipeline of research, translation, and clinical application. Supported by Cure4CF since 2018, bacteriophage research is now delivering real outcomes for patients—and reshaping what is possible in CF care.