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A recent study confirmed the presence of increased serum levels of interleukin-7 (IL-7) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, compared with healthy controls. The researchers could establish a link between higher IL-7 levels and worse lung function in patients, suggesting a possible biomarker for CF. The study, “Higher…

Air Next, a small, simple-to-use handheld spirometer, could transform cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment, allowing patients to monitor their own lung function at home and share the results remotely with their healthcare team. Air Next connects via Bluetooth to a user-friendly smartphone app called Aria. Both Air Next spirometer and the Aria…

Preschoolers with cystic fibrosis (CF) treated with inhaled hypertonic saline in a clinical trial showed significant improvement in lung function, PARI, the company whose solution and equipment was used in the study, reports. The Saline Hypertonic in Preschoolers (SHIP) study (NCT02378467) examined the effectiveness of treatment with 7% hypertonic saline…

It’s one of the ironies of cystic fibrosis (CF) conferences that the patients who most urgently need the information are discouraged from attending for fear of cross-contamination. Under infection control guidelines published by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), only one CF patient may be in a room at a…

Researchers at West Virginia University (WVU) are working to develop a vaccine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the highly treatment-resistant bacteria that are a frequent cause of chronic lung infection and damage in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. P. aeruginosa is considered a serious health threat by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) because of its…

Kalydeco (ivacaftor) by Vertex Pharmaceuticals has been approved in the European Union for children ages 1-2 with cystic fibrosis (CF) who carry at least one of nine mutations in the CFTR gene — G551D, G1244E, G1349D, G178R, G551S, S1251N, S1255P, S549N, or S549R — that prevent the CFTR chloride channel from working properly. “For the first time, EU physicians can now treat the…