Clinical Trials, Observational Studies, and Case Reports

The empirical literature on the use of glutathione in cystic fibrosis is growing. Below find a set of links to take you to some--though by no means all--of the extant literature available.

• "Case report: Three adult brothers with cystic fibrosis (delF508-delF508) maintain unusually preserved clinical profile in the absence of standard CF care," CT Bishop, Respiratory Medicine Case Reports, 33(2021), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmcr.2021.101413


• "Novel Therapy of Bicarbonate, Glutathione, and Ascorbic Acid Improves Cystic Fibrosis Mucus Transport," Adewale AT et al., Am J Resp CellMol Biol; 2020; Sep, 63(3): 362-373; DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2019-0287OC


• "Oral Reduced L-Glutathione Improves Growth in Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Patients," Visca A et al., J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2015 Jun;60(6):802-10. doi: 10.1097/MPG.0000000000000738.
  

  * FULL DATASET OF RESULTS
  * PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) Analysis (This was not included in the publication)
  * Bacteriology/Symptomology Analysis (This was not included in the publication)
  

• "Randomized, Single Blind, Controlled Trial of Inhaled Glutathione versus Placebo in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis," Calabrese C et al., J Cyst Fibros. 2015 Mar;14(2):203-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2014.09.014. Epub 2014 Nov 4.


• "Inhalation Treatment with Glutathione in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis," Griese M et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013 Jul 1;188(1):83-9. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201303-0427OC.


• "Nebulized and Oral Thiol Derivatives for Pulmonary Disease in Cystic Fibrosis," Cochrane Review (Nash EF, Stephenson A, Ratjen F, Tullis E), Jan 21, 2009; Cochrane Database Syst Rev


• "The Treatment of Pulmonary Diseases and Respiratory-Related Conditions with Inhaled (Nebulized or Aerosolized) Glutathione," by Jonathon Prousky, Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, eCAM pub May 17, 2007 (You may need to register for a free Medscape account to see this.)


• "Improvement in clinical markers in CF patients using a reduced glutathione regimen: An uncontrolled, observational study," by A Visca, CT Bishop, SC Hilton, VM Hudson, Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, 7(2008): 433-436


• "A Pilot Study of the Effect of Inhaled Buffered Reduced Glutathione on the Clinical Status of Patients With Cystic Fibrosis," CT Bishop, VM Hudson, SC Hilton, C Wilde, Chest 127(1), January 2005:308-317


• Randomized, single blind, controlled trial of inhaled glutathione vs placebo in patients with cystic fibrosis.
  Calabrese C, Tosco A, Abete P, Carnovale V, Basile C, Magliocca A, Quattrucci S, De Sanctis S, Alatri F, Mazzarella G, De Pietro L, Turino C, Melillo E, Buonpensiero P, Di Pasqua A, Raia V.
  J Cyst Fibros. 2014 Nov 4.


• Polymorphisms in the glutathione pathway modulate cystic fibrosis severity: a cross-sectional study.
  Marson FA, Bertuzzo CS, Ribeiro AF, Ribeiro JD.
  BMC Med Genet. 2014 Mar 4


• Glutathione and infection.
  Morris D, Khurasany M, Nguyen T, Kim J, Guilford F, Mehta R, Gray D, Saviola B, Venketaraman V.
  Biochim Biophys Acta. 2013 May;1830(5):3329-49.


• CFTR is the primary known apical glutathione transporter involved in cigarette smoke-induced adaptive responses in the lung.
  Gould NS, Min E, Martin RJ, Day BJ.
  Free Radic Biol Med. 2012 Apr 1;52(7):1201-6.


• GSH monoethyl ester rescues mitochondrial defects in cystic fibrosis models.
  Kelly-Aubert M, Trudel S, Fritsch J, Nguyen-Khoa T, Baudouin-Legros M, Moriceau S, Jeanson L, Djouadi F, Matar C, Conti M, Ollero M, Brouillard F, Edelman A.
  Hum Mol Genet. 2011 Jul 15;20(14):2745-59.


• "Hypertonic saline increases lung epithelial fluid glutathione and thiocyanate: two protective CFTR-dependent thiols against oxidative injury," NS Gould, S Gauthier, CT Kariya, E Min, J, Huang, DJ Brian, Respir Res, 2010, Aug 27, 11:119.


• Inhalation treatment with glutathione in patients with cystic fibrosis. A randomized clinical trial.
  Griese M, Kappler M, Eismann C, Ballmann M, Junge S, Rietschel E, van Koningsbruggen-Rietschel S, Staab D, Rolinck-Werninghaus C, Mellies U, Köhnlein T, Wagner T, König S, Teschler H, Heuer HE, Kopp M, Heyder S, Hammermann J, Küster P, Honer M, Mansmann U, Beck-Speier I, Hartl D, Fuchs C; Glutathione Study Group, Hector A.
  Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013 Jul 1;188(1):83-9.


• "Extracellular glutathione decreases the ability of Burkholderia cenocepacia to penetrate into epithelial cells and to induce an inflammatory response," M D'Orazio, F. Pacello, and A. Battistoni, PLOS One, October 2012, Vol. 7, Issue 10.


• "Improvement of alveolar glutathione and lung function but not oxidative state in cystic fibrosis," M Griese et al, Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004 Apr 1;169(7):822-8


• "Glutathione aerosol suppresses lung epithelial surface inflammatory cell-derived oxidants in cystic fibrosis," Roum JH, Borok Z, McElvaney NG, Grimes GJ, Bokser AD, Buhl R, Crystal RG., J Appl Physiol. 1999 Jul;87(1):438-43


• Inhalation of Buffered GSH: A Case Report


• Additional Case Reports


• Then there is what we at the UVICF consider the flawed CFF GROW trial, which used a liquid formulation of GSH (which is chemically unstable), and did not follow Dr. Bishop's protocol; accessible here.