What research is being done for cystic fibrosis

What research is being done for cystic fibrosis

http://www.chacha.com/question/what-research-is-being-done-for-cystic-fibrosis

Researchers from diverse disciplines, such as molecular biology, immunology and medicinal chemistry, routinely collaborate to find new strategies to tackle the disease of cystic fibrosis. ChaCha again soon!

What scientific research is being done in the area of Cystic Fibr…?

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“Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the digestive system and lungs. It causes child..” Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the digestive system and lungs. It causes children to be more likely to have…

Related Questions Answered on Y!Answers

Why is more research done on Cystic Fibrosis, which affects less people, than on Malaria?

Q: The ability of the pathogen Plasmodium to invade the human immune system is one reason developing a malaria vaccine is so difficult. Another reason is that less money is spent on malaria research than on diseases that affect fewer people, such as cystic fibrosis. What are the possible reasons for this imbalance in research effort?

A: not enough is being done to research cystic fibrosis in my eyes

My 2 year old is being tested for cystic fibrosis?

Q: I have done some research on it but i am still a little unsure of what the condition is. Will my baby be ok? Please be straight with your answers good or bad as I really want to understand both positive and negative aspects of this conditionThankyou very much.

A: I’m a 40 year old CF’er so I can give you some first hand experience of life with CF. There are over 600 common mutations of the CF gene and many more uncommon mutations. The type of mutation determines how the disease affects the individual and the severity with which it’s present. Basically CF makes all the mucus within the body thick and goopy rather than thin and slippery so it clogs various organs, makes us susceptible to lung infections, etc. Generally we are most affected by lung and digestive system issues although there are a number of other ‘side effects’ of CF that are common:*slow growth development – largely due to the digestive impact and difficulty absorbing nutrients*osteoporosis – we have difficulty absorbing fat soluable vitamins (A, D, E and K) so with the shortage of vitamin D we also then don’t well absorb calcium*liver hardening/enlargment/sludge – this happens with some of us as we get older although I don’t know the reason, but it’s easily addressed with medications*bleeding – we sometimes have shortages of vitamin K and can have unusual bleeding even though things like a small cut will still clot normally*reproductively sterile – most CF men are sterile due to blockages and CF women often don’t have regular cycles due to medications, low weight, blockages, etc. and even if we do we usually can’t conceive*pale skin color – we usually have less melanin than ‘normal’ people so we’re pale and don’t usually tan easily, plus a lot of our meds cause sensitivity to sunlight *fingernail and toenail clubbing – ‘clubbing’ is the term used for enlarged fingernails/toenails and is caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood at the extremities*diabetes – usually due to blockage in our pancreas but the steroids we’re often on also elevate blood sugar levelsEveryone’s case is different but CF is a progressive disease and it will eventually worsen to the point that lung transplant is necessary to prevent death. Currently the average life expectancy is mid-30’s but they are continually making advancements in treatments so that age keeps rising slowly but surely.Aside from the medical facts, life with CF can be very normal. I was formally diagnosed when I was approximately one year old and just celebrated my ‘3rd birthday’ (transplant anniversary) this past Sunday (August 26th). I went to school just like any other kid and my parents demanded good grades. I graduated high school in the top 11% of my class and attended college full time at night, carrying 12 to 18 hours a semester, while working both a full time and part time job. My husband and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary in October. We have feline kids rather than human children…and a side benefit of the transplant is that I never have to clean the litter boxes again! 😉 I’ll celebrate my 18th anniversary with my employer in November and am a Senior Manager at our world headquarters.I had as normal a life as most other people until the last year before my transplant. My health really went down hill and I was extremely ill almost continuously with lung infections. I spent a lot of time in the hospital and doing home IV’s. However, I was able to work through all of it (often from the hospital or home) right up to my transplant and was back working (again remotely) 10 days after the surgery. My transplant was a miracle and I could immediately breath upon awakening from the surgery. Most CF’ers are rather stubborn and we learn ways to deal with the CF. Since it usually progresses gradually we find ways to adapt to new limitations and often ignore the disease as much as possible so we can live life on our own terms. Most of us have a pretty sharp sense of humor, which is vital in maintaining our health and dealing with the CF. My parents started telling me about CF when I was a toddler and I can still remember bits and pieces of the conversations. Obviously they didn’t tell me at that point that I would likely die at a young age but I figured that out by age 10 so it’s not something that can be put off too long. We have to take oral meds and receive various chest physiotheraphy treatments so we already know we’re different than other kids. If your baby does have CF you’ll need to find the nearest CF treatment center for life-long follow-up. Since CF has historically been a pediatric disease it’s much easier to find centers that treat kids than adults (most of the centers double up and treat both). You’ll have a CF team that will include a pulmonologist (specializing in CF), a dietician, a respiratory therapist, a social worker and possibly other team members. The CF teams are very accustomed to answering any questions from patients or family members and can also help you find support groups. Another source is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – cff.org. Feel free to ask CF’ers about their experiences. Most of the stuff you read on the internet is going to be only the medical statistics but won’t give you the real picture of what life is like with the disease. If you have questions feel free to e-mail via Answers.Best wishes.

Help with this letter I am writing to parents, telling them their unborn son has cystic fibrosis?

Q: I have recently become a genetic counselor, and I have to write my first letter to parents telling them their unborn son has cystic fibrosis. Here’s the letter, tell me what you think. I also need a closing paragraph….what should I say to them??? Also, do you think my first paragraph is good (im trying to state the facts, but not be too harsh)?? What do you think? Note: I have changed the names of the people Dear Mr. Christopher and Mrs. Shannon Baron, I am very disappointed and saddened to tell you that your unborn son has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Although there is no cure for this disease, there are many treatments to relieve symptoms. Unfortunately, I must tell you that cystic fibrosis will usually result in early death (the median age of death for people diagnosed with CF is 37 years old). However, the median age of death has increased much in the past decades. In the below paragraphs, I will thoroughly explain this disease to you. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes mucus build up and clogs organs in the body (particularly the lungs and pancreas). Because of the mucus clogging the lungs, it makes it very difficult for people with CF to breathe. The mucus can also cause bacteria to get stuck in the airways, causing inflammation. People with cystic fibrosis also have problems digesting food and getting good nutrients. This is because the mucus stops enzymes from getting to the intestines. Enzymes are used to digest food. As I said above, cystic fibrosis is a genetically transmitted disease. In the Pedigree I have attached to this letter, the two of you are part of the fourth generation, and your son is the fifth generation. I traced Shannon’s family back to her great-grandparents, who were both carriers of cystic fibrosis (please note that when I use the phrase “carriers of cystic fibrosis”, I mean they simply pass it on to their offspring, and are not actually diagnosed with the disease). They had five children, including Shannon’s grandfather (Mark) who was a carrier of cystic fibrosis. Mark’s sister, Jeanine, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, and his brother, Thomas, was also a carrier. However, Shannon’s grandmother (Jennifer) was not a carrier of cystic fibrosis. Mark and Jennifer had three children; Shannon’s aunt (Lauren), uncle (Stephen), and mother (Karen). Lauren and Stephen were not diagnosed, nor did they carry cystic fibrosis. However, Karen was a carrier. Shannon’s father, John, was also a carrier. Karen and John had three children; Shannon, her sister (Robin), and her brother (David). Robin was unaffected by this trait (meaning she was not a carrier or diagnosed with CR), while David was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (my research shows that Shannon’s brother David died of cystic fibrosis when he was thirteen years old). Unfortunately, Shannon is a carrier of cystic fibrosis and so is Christopher. Your first daughter, Ginger, was not a carrier nor diagnosed with CR. However, your unborn son is diagnosed with this disease. Cystic fibrosis is more commonly found in boys because they only have one X chromosome. Girls have the combination XX, while boys have the combination XY. Genetic diseases are carried on the X chromosome, and since boys only have one, there is not back-up X chromosome if a genetic disease is carried on it. On the Punnet Sqaure I also attached to this letter, you will see that there was a 50% chance your son would carry cystic fibrosis, and a 25% chance he would be diagnosed with it. Again, there is no known cure for cystic fibrosis, but there are treatments to help complications (may I also add that there is much research on trying to find a cure for CR). Treatments usually help treat chest infections and prevent further damage to the lungs. Many people with cystic fibrosis will also take replacement enzymes (such as Pancrex or Creon) before every meal, to supply missing enzymes and make it easier to digest food. Other things that can help would be regular antibiotics (to help get rid of lung infections), mucolytics (to make your sputum not as sticky), asthma therapy (to help breathing problems caused by infections), and insulin therapy for diabetes (to help your body break down sugar properly).

A: Nice try. But just wanted to point out for your school project, or whatever you are doing this for, that Cystic Fibrosis is not an x-linked trait. It is recessive. Therefore, you need to back up, go back to your Punnett Square, and start over from scratch. If you were really a genetic counselor, I am sure you would know that. Good attempt though.