Five and a half years ago, I received the gift of a lifetime: a double-lung transplant that gave me back my breath and, in many ways, my life. After decades of fighting cystic fibrosis (CF), I finally felt free. And then reality set in. Nobody tells you that a…

I’m not a jerk; I’m just tired. Admittedly, though, I feel like a jerk sometimes. My eyes widen at the number of private messages that flood my inbox. I know they’re from sweet people who need support and encouragement. “I’ll tackle them another day,” I say aloud. But days can…

Researchers at UCLA have developed a nonviral gene-editing strategy that could help pave the way for one-time treatments for people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The experimental therapy uses lipid nanoparticles — tiny fatty molecules — to insert a full, healthy copy of the CFTR gene into human airway cells,…

Routine blood tests can accurately predict the development of an allergic response to the fungus Aspergillus in children with cystic fibrosis (CF), a study suggests. A higher risk of the lung allergic response, called allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), was found among those with elevated biomarker levels for up…

Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) have lower gut levels of certain short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), metabolites made by beneficial gut bacteria that help regulate inflammation, a study reports. The researchers also found that children with CF had lower dietary fiber intake, reduced gut microbial diversity, fewer key SCFA-producing bacteria,…

“You might live long enough to finish college, maybe even get married, but …” I imagine this is what the textbooks used to say about cystic fibrosis (CF) when I was in college. While I heard such things at medical appointments, I refused to let that narrative define my…