Antibiotic treatment of CF lung disease: From bench to bedside

Chronic infection of the respiratory tract is a hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF). Antibiotic treatment has been used as one of the mainstays of therapy and together with other treatment modalities has resulted in increased survival of CF patients. Increasing resistance of CF-specific pathogens to various classes of antibiotics explains the need for novel antibiotic strategies. This review focuses on the future development of new antibiotic therapies, including: (1) New targets, (2) novel antibiotic regimens in CF, (3) new antibiotics, and (4) other investigational therapies. In addition, we briefly summarize developments in the area of microbial diagnostics and discuss interactions between the complex pulmonary microflora.