New Emily’s Entourage Research Grant to Advance Phage Therapy for Drug-Resistant Cystic Fibrosis Infections

Newly-funded San Diego State University project aims to optimize novel bacteriophage-antibiotic treatments for hard-to-treat CF pathogens, which drive disease progression in individuals with CF. 

Anca Segall, PhD’s pioneering work is optimizing phage therapy for multidrug-resistant Achromobacter infections—one of the most dangerous and understudied pathogens in CF.

Lower Merion, PA—July 9, 2025—Emily’s Entourage (EE), an innovative 501(c)(3) organization accelerating research for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) who do not benefit from existing CFTR modulator therapies, has announced a new 2025 research grant award to Anca Segall, PhD, professor of biology at San Diego State University. This funding supports Dr. Segall’s pioneering work optimizing phage therapy for multidrug-resistant Achromobacter infections—one of the most dangerous and understudied pathogens in CF.

Phage therapy (PT), which uses bacterial viruses known as bacteriophages to target harmful bacteria, is rapidly gaining traction as a last-resort option for treating antibiotic-resistant infections. Through this new EE-funded project, titled “Optimizing Phage Cocktails for Therapy Targeting Achromobacter,” Dr. Segall’s team will work to identify the best combinations of phages and antibiotics to combat Achromobacter, a pathogen that is resistant to most antibiotics and is linked to declining health in people with CF. 

By mapping how bacteria evolve resistance to phages—and how those resistance changes impact antibiotic susceptibility—the project seeks to engineer smarter, more effective treatments that not only kill the bacteria, but potentially re-sensitize them to antibiotics and reduce their fitness over time.

“Despite the remarkable impact of currently-available CFTR modulators, nearly 10% of the CF community remains without viable treatment options,” said Dr. Segall. “These individuals are especially vulnerable to deadly infections from pathogens like Achromobacter, for which there are virtually no targeted research programs  and few FDA-approved therapies. Emily’s Entourage’s support is vital in helping us develop urgently-needed tools to treat Achromobacter in the CF population.”

In addition to characterizing how specific phages work and how Achromobacter resists or succumbs to treatment, Dr. Segall’s team will use clinical samples and metagenomic data from previous phage therapy cases to improve future treatment strategies and identify synergies between phage and antibiotic combinations. The project’s findings could inform personalized, precision treatments and be shared with CF clinicians and researchers globally.

“EE is deeply committed to funding the most promising, high-impact science to reach the 10% of people with CF still waiting for a breakthrough,” said Chandra Ghose, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at EE. “This project exemplifies our mission—to accelerate bold, innovative research that bridges critical gaps and brings life-changing therapies within reach quickly.”

About Emily’s Entourage’s (EE’s) Grant Program 

Emily’s Entourage’s (EE’s) Grant Program provides grant funding to accelerate research and therapeutic development for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) who do not benefit from existing mutation-targeted therapies. EE provides funding through several grant funding mechanisms, including translational grants, collaborative grants, and preclinical exploratory grants, as well as through venture philanthropy investments.

To date, EE has awarded millions of dollars to multi-disciplinary teams around the world and helped to secure millions of dollars in follow-on funding. To view awarded grants, visit https://www.emilysentourage.org/awarded-grants/.

To learn more about EE’s funding opportunities, visit https://www.emilysentourage.org/funding-opportunities/. 

About Emily’s Entourage

Emily’s Entourage is an innovative 501(c)3 that accelerates research for new treatments and a cure for individuals in the final 10% of the cystic fibrosis (CF) population that do not benefit from currently available mutation-targeted therapies. Since 2011, Emily’s Entourage has awarded millions of dollars in research grants, launched a now clinical-stage CF gene therapy company, developed the Clinical Trial Connect (CTC) patient database and clinical trial matchmaking program to accelerate clinical trial recruitment, and led worldwide efforts to drive high-impact research and drug development. The organization has been featured in national media, including the New York Times, STAT, CNN, People, and more. Learn more at emilysentourage.org.

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Hannah Kleckner

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