Margarida Maia, PhD,  science writer—

Wheezing — noisy breathing with a whistling sound — occurs in nearly three of every four preschool-aged children with cystic fibrosis (CF), and its presence at age 6 is linked to worse lung function, a French study has found. Researchers also observed that the majority of older children and…

Lab-edited transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules revived the production of a protein that’s lost or faulty in cystic fibrosis patients’ cells that carry mutations in the protein’s coding gene, a study found. They did this by helping the cell machinery read through the mutations that would cause protein production to…

CF-370, an expeimental therapy by ContraFect, reduces the number of hard-to-treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria in a rabbit model of pneumonia, an infection that inflames the lungs. P. aeruginosa, the most common cause of lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), can evade the body’s immune…

Difficulties with eating and proper nutrition for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients may be due to an inflammation of the esophagus known as eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), according to a report on three young children in the U.S. Shared traits, particularly gastrointestinal issues like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and abdominal pain that leave children…

Telerehabilitation — the delivery of rehabilitation care from a distance using technology — may make children with cystic fibrosis (CF) feel less anxious or depressed, have a more positive body image, and also improve their ability to walk farther, a small study found. However, the levels of anxiety and…

The Boomer Esiason Foundation is awarding $150,000 in scholarships to students within the cystic fibrosis (CF) community who want to pursue higher education in the U.S. To win one of the 15 grants worth $10,000 each, applications must be submitted on this online form by the April 29…

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the most common bacterium infecting the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), appears to go through a number of changes that enables it to adapt during the course of an infection, a study says. Using samples of sputum (mucus brought up from the airways by…

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) who had a liver transplant can be safely started on Trikafta (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor), a small study suggests. For most patients in the study, Trikafta’s use resulted in an easing of symptoms, better quality of life, and healthier body weight and lung function. Doctors with…

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is funding three new early-stage research awards worth more than $1.8 million to bolster the development of potential gene therapies for cystic fibrosis (CF). “This funding will support critical early steps necessary for the development of genetic therapies for cystic fibrosis,” William Skach, MD, executive…

Inadequate nutrition, poorly working or chronically infected lungs, and mutations leading to more severe disease can shorten the lifespan of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), a study in adult patients reported. “All these factors interact with each other,” its scientists wrote. “Therefore, it is important to take into account…