Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

An infant boy, who was first seen with recurrent infections and a failure to thrive, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) caused by a rare genetic mutation, a case study reports. “This case underscores the importance of considering CF even when classic symptoms are absent, as genetic mutation can…

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, appears to induce the loss of CFTR protein in a cell-based airway model, replicating the inflammatory state seen in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), a study suggested. Treating cells with cardiac glycosides, a class of medicines that block the virus…

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) grants will help fund four programs that support the well-being of people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The awards, given through the foundation’s ninth annual Impact Grants program, provide up to $10,000 to individuals and nonprofit organizations in the CF community. Since the program started…

CFTR correctors, such as elexacaftor, a component of the cystic fibrosis (CF) therapy Trikafta, may improve lung function through enhanced potassium flow via a protein channel called BKCa, a study has found. Potassium flow via BKCa is known to support the hydration of lung surfaces, similar to CFTR,…

The diversity and composition of bacteria in the gut of adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) differed significantly from that of these patients’ non-CF counterparts in a new study, data revealed. Further, poor nutritional status and certain mutations in the CFTR gene, the underlying cause of CF — and…

Biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa visualized directly in sputum (phlegm) samples collected from children with cystic fibrosis (CF) did not match biofilms when bacteria were first isolated from sputum and grown as an in vitro model, a study revealed. In vitro (in-the-lab) model systems are typically used to study…

Two non-invasive tests — MRI scans and the lung clearance index (LCI) — were more sensitive to early lung disease in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) than standard lung function tests, a study from Switzerland reports. Better ways of evaluating lung health in infants and children are needed,…

A woman and her daughter were diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis, an inflammatory condition of the sinuses and nasal passages, with features matching cystic fibrosis (CF), a case study reports. However, neither patient carried mutations in the CFTR gene that cause CF. The pair also presented with signs and…

One year of Trikafta treatment improved lung function, reduced abnormalities in lung structure, and halted disease progression among school-age children, ages 6-11, with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to a real-world analysis. “The majority of the children even achieved normal lung function with the triple combination therapy. That’s a…

Using a newly enhanced gene-editing technology called prime editing, researchers in the U.S. have efficiently corrected the most common mutation that causes cystic fibrosis (CF) in human lung cells. By correcting this mutation, known as F508del, in the CFTR gene, scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard,…