Our current research comes under three key topics:
Understanding and treating lung infections
Most people with CF will contract a number of bacterial, fungal and viral infections throughout their lifetimes. Once these infections adapt to the environment of CF lungs they can be extremely difficult to treat. In some cases, the infections are becoming resistant to the strongest drugs that are available. We are funding research into some of the most common and dangerous CF infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium abscessus, to develop better treatments and detect infections faster.
Read more about understanding and treating lung infections.
Understanding and treating the symptoms of CF
Cystic fibrosis affects a number of different parts of the body, including the lungs, the liver, pancreas, gut and bones. This leads to a range of different symptoms such as long-term lung infections; CF-related diabetes; GI symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea; and joint pain. These symptoms can significantly increase burden of care and reduce quality of life. We are funding research into faster ways to detect the onset of these symptoms and better ways to manage them, and to achieve a greater understanding of their underlying causes.
Read more about understanding and treating the symptoms and complications of cystic fibrosis.
Tackling the underlying cause of CF
Cystic fibrosis is caused by having two mutated copies of the CF gene, known as CFTR. The mutated gene leads to errors in the amount and function of the CF protein produced around the body. The most effective way of treating cystic fibrosis is to restore the function of the faulty CF protein or to correct the CF gene. Research is underway to treat this underlying cause of CF in a number of ways, both directly acting on the CF gene and protein, or by working indirectly to improve other areas of how cells work to compensate for the lack of healthy CF protein.
Read more about tackling the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis.