Cystic Fibrosis News and Research

Latest Cystic Fibrosis News and Research

New approach to cystic fibrosis treatment

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered that an enzyme produced by lung-infecting bacteria further shuts down a protein that is defective in cystic fibrosis patients.

19 Apr 2007

New automated test for gene mutations causing fragile X syndrome

A new automated test could enable population screening to identify carriers of the gene mutations causing fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common inherited form of mental retardation, reports a study in the April issue of Genetics in Medicine, published by the American College of Medical Genetics and Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

19 Apr 2007

Rhythmic motion of the lungs clears bacteria

While working to find novel ways to treat the life-threatening disease of cystic fibrosis, researchers at the University of North Carolina have discovered that the rhythmic motion of the lungs during normal breathing is a critical regulator of the clearance of bacteria and other noxious materials.

16 Apr 2007

New device to test for proteins that play important role in human health and disease

A new technology developed at the University of Toronto is revealing biochemical processes responsible for diseases such as cystic fibrosis and could one day pave the way for pharmaceutical applications.

15 Apr 2007

Newborn screening programmes for cystic fibrosis should be adopted internationally

Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis saves on treatment costs and would offset the actual costs of the screening programme.

8 Apr 2007

Study shows how antibiotic gentamicin affects cystic fibrosis patients with a stop mutation

Genetics tests could help provide cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with targeted treatment in future, pilot study authors suggest.

30 Mar 2007

Molecular mechanism involved in development of schizophrenia

In studying the postmortem brain tissue of adults who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, the researchers found that levels of certain gene-regulating molecules called microRNAs were lower among schizophrenia patients than in persons who were free of psychiatric illness.

30 Mar 2007

Trojan horse approach designed to defeats drug-resistant bacteria

A new antimicrobial approach can kill bacteria in laboratory experiments and eliminate life-threatening infections in mice by interfering with a key bacterial nutrient, according to research led by a University of Washington scientist.

19 Mar 2007

Newborns with respiratory distress should be evaluated for primary ciliary dyskinesia

Reviewing published reports, Ferkol and Margaret Leigh, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), found that neonatal respiratory distress was a common clinical symptom of PCD, a chronic airway disease that affects about 1 in 15,000 children.

20 Feb 2007

New diagnostic technology for routine prenatal genetic testing

Research studies demonstrating the viability of an approach to routinely detect the presence of fetal DNA in a mother's blood to accurately diagnose or rule out genetic defects -- as early as the first trimester -- was presented today at the 27th Annual Meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine being held in San Francisco.

11 Feb 2007

Garlic offers hope in cystic fibrosis infection

Garlic has been hailed a wonder drug for centuries and has been used to prevent gangrene, treat high blood pressure, ward off common colds and is even believed by some to have cancer-fighting properties.

31 Jan 2007

Lung neutrophils produce histamine in significant quantities

In a surprise finding, scientists have discovered that histamine, the inflammatory compound released during allergic reactions that causes runny nose, watery eyes, and wheezing, can be produced in large amounts in the lung by neutrophils, the white blood cells that are the major component of pus.

14 Jan 2007

Expert says flu vaccination programs a pointless waste of money

According to a vaccine expert the millions spent on flu vaccination programs each year are a waste of time and money.

30 Oct 2006

New compounds could make drug-resistant bacteria harmless

Just as the medical world has become concerned over the apparent resistance of some bugs to antibiotics, scientists have made significant progress towards the development of a new generation of antibiotics.

12 Sep 2006

Prenatal diagnostic tests have low risk of miscarriage

Pregnant women who seek prenatal diagnostic testing to identify genetic or chromosomal abnormalities have a lower risk of miscarriage than previously believed, according to a UCSF study.

31 Aug 2006

U.S. research challenges Bush over embryonic stem-cell research

Researchers in the U.S. appear all set to challenge President Bush's stand over the issue of embryonic stem-cell research.

24 Aug 2006

FDA warns pharmacies to stop mass-producing unapproved inhalation drugs

FDA has warned three firms, RoTech Healthcare, Inc., CCS Medical, and Reliant Pharmacy Services, to stop manufacturing and distributing thousands of doses of compounded, unapproved inhalation drugs nation-wide.

10 Aug 2006

Children with eczema have the same impaired quality of life as those with kidney disease

Children with serious skin conditions feel their quality of life is impaired to the same extent as those with chronic illnesses such as epilepsy, renal disease and diabetes, according to research published in the July issue of British Journal of Dermatology.

18 Jul 2006

New findings on cystic fibrosis-related diabetes

A growing number of cystic fibrosis patients are battling a second, often deadly complication: a unique form of diabetes that shares characteristics of the type 1 and type 2 versions that strike many Americans.

10 Jul 2006

Scientists identify overactive protein that plays a key role in cystic fibrosis

A team led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center scientists has identified and successfully tamed an overactive protein that plays a key role in cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disorder that interferes with the body's ability to transport chloride in and out of cells.

5 Jul 2006