Eradicating Cystic Fibrosis Biofilms by a Novel Non-Toxic, Multi-Pathway Salicylate Therapy

Biofilms, infectious bacterial communities, kill over 500,000 people annually. Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) are particularly vulnerable to developing fatal biofilms in their lungs. Current treatments for CF biofilms are often ineffective and toxic. My research focused on using salicylates, such as aspirin, to reduce CF biofilm growth. Results showed that salicylates alone could remove over 98.7% of biofilms, and combining them with antibiotics increased effectiveness from 77% to 98%. These findings suggest that salicylates could offer an effective, non-toxic, and cost-efficient treatment for CF biofilms.