What is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary (autosomal recessive) genetic disorder caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, which encodes a chloride ion channel. Defective CFTR impairs salt and water transport across epithelial cells, producing thick, sticky mucus and abnormal secretions in multiple organs.
In simpler terms, CF is a genetic illness that makes a person’s body produce very thick, sticky mucus. This happens because a fault in a gene stops certain cells from moving salt and water normally.
What that means simply:
- In the lungs: thick mucus clogs airways, making it hard to breathe and causing frequent lung infections.
- In the tummy: the pancreas can’t release enzymes well, so food (especially fats) isn’t digested properly and people may have trouble gaining weight.
How people get it:
- It is inherited. A child gets CF only if both parents carry the faulty gene (even if the parents don’t have symptoms).
Treatment (helps but does not yet cure for everyone):
- Daily airway clearing, medicines to thin mucus, antibiotics for infections, pancreatic enzymes with meals, good nutrition, and newer drugs that improve the faulty gene’s function.
Through our fundraising efforts and continued breakthroughs in medicine, we are close to a cure for CF. Join our team, and help us in the fight to Beat CF.