Cystic Fibrosis

• Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.
• Produces very thick mucus in lungs. Mucus slows down exchange of gases in lungs - breeding ground for bacteria.
• At least once a day, a person with cystic fibrosis must have physiotherapy to move this thick mucus out of the lungs.
• NN - Normal Mucus

  Nn - Normal Mucus

  nn - Thick Mucus
• Gene Therapy - Genes for normal mucus called VECTOR are inhaled into the lungs using an inhaler. Some cells that make mucus take in the gene and produce normal mucus for a few days. New cells produced by the body will not contain the gene for normal mucus, so the inhaler will have to be used every few days.