Cystic Fibrosis : A Life Threatening Genetic Disorder

CF is caused by a mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CTFR) gene, which encodes a chloride ion channel that regulates osmotic balance across the epithelium through the transport of sodium ions and water4. Mutations

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disease that causes thickened mucus to form in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs. It affects a specific protein called Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR) that controls the normal movement of sodium, chloride, and water in and out of the cells within the body. Those diagnosed with CF have either too little or abnormal CFTR. When CFTR is absent or defective, the mucus usually secreted by the cells in the pulmonary airways, pancreatic ducts, and gastrointestinal tract become thickened, leading to obstructions, frequent infection, and loss of function in the affected organs (Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms, Causes & Risk Factors, 2018). According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder in which mucus glands produce abnormally thick secretions. These secretions can lead to chronic infections of the lungs and eventually lead to obstruction of the pancreas, resulting in digestive enzyme deficiency, the liver is also sometimes affected. Secretions from the sweat and salivary glands of a CF patient frequently contain abnormally high amounts of sodium and chloride. Because the body produces a high amount of salt, a sweat test is generally used to diagnose the disorder.

Cystic Fibrosis is a chromosomal abnormality, meaning that one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes are not what they are supposed to be. A person without Cystic Fibrosis has a gene in chromosome 7, which produces a normal and substantial amount of protein called Cystic Fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR), which in turn produces thin and watery mucus. A person with Cystic Fibrosis has a gene in chromosome 7, which produces either abnormal CFTR protein or no CFTR protein at all, which causes the body to produce thick and sticky mucus. People who are born with Cystic Fibrosis have two copies of the gene. One gene is received by each parent. In most cases, parents of people with Cystic Fibrosis, usually both carry the gene, however, the Cystic Fibrosis gene they are carry is recessive compared to the normal gene, allowing the normal gene it take over due to its dominance. This means that they do not have Cystic Fibrosis themselves. According to Cystic Fibrosis Queensland (2015) there is a one in four chance a person will have Cystic Fibrosis, a two in four chance that person will have the gene but not the disease and there is a one in four chance that the person will not have the disease or gene at all. The Cystic Fibrosis gene is easily passed on, however, the disorder not so much. The disorder is only passed on if a person obtains both the Cystic Fibrosis genes from their parents.

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that is programmed in the victim’s DNA. It is passed on from parents who are both carriers of the defective gene. This genetic disorder affects the respiratory and digestive systems. People who suffer from cystic fibrosis usually inherit a defective gene on chromosome 7 called CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator). Below is a diagram showing how cystic fibrosis is passed on from carrier parents to a child. The diagram shows that when a child is born by two parents who are both carriers of the CFTR defective gene, there is a one in four chance of being born with cystic fibrosis, there is a 2 in 4 chance of being a carrier or a 1 in

What is Cystic Fibrosis? How does it affect people living with it? Cystic Fibrosis, also known as CF, is a life-threatening hereditary disease. It is inherited by a faulty cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductor (CFTR) gene from each parent (Kowalczyk, 2014, p. 74). This faulty gene makes a defective protein that does not work well and causes the body to produce sticky, thick mucus and very salty sweat("About CF: Causes, Signs & Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis,"

Cystic fibrosis occurs as a mutation on Chromosome 7. These mutations causes little to no CFTR (Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) and promotes the removal of 3 bases in DNA resulting in Amino acids to be unaccounted for.

Cystic Fibrosis cannot be developed or contracted it is something you’re born with. CF is a recessive disease, it occurs when a child inherits one defective copy of the gene from each parent. This gene mutation is responsible for cystic fibrosis. ("Cystic fibrosis Canada," 2011) This gene is known as the CFTR gene ("www.medincinet.com," 1996). Reference Figure 3. The “gene makes a protein that controls the movement of salt and water in and out of your body's cells. In people who have cystic fibrosis, the gene makes a protein that doesn't work right. This causes the thick, sticky mucus” ("www.medincinet.com," 1996).

Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease of the secretory glands (National Heart, Lungs, and Blood Institute[NHLBI] , "What Is Cystic Fibrosis?", 2013). People who have cystic fibrosis inherit two defective genes, one from each parent (NHLBI , "What Is Cystic Fibrosis?", 2013). The body parts affected by cystic fibrosis are the lungs, pancreas, intestines, sinuses, and sex organs (NHLBI , "What Is Cystic Fibrosis?", 2013). The gene at fault for causing cystic fibrosis is the CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) gene (Genetics Home Reference, "CFTR gene", 2014). The transport of salts and chloride in and out of the cells is affected by the mutation of this gene (Cystic Fibrosis Research Inc., "About Cystic Fibrosis"). This disease most commonly affects Caucasians of North European descent (NHLBI , "What Is Cystic Fibrosis?", 2013).

Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterised by a mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein which acts as a chlorine channel that regulates water and ion levels across the epithelia. Cystic fibrosis can affect sweat glands, the respiratory system, digestive system and the reproductive system. In the lungs defects in the CFTR protein results in airway surface liquid depletion, triggering a cascade of events resulting in infection and inflammation [1]. This essay will discuss the molecular mechanisms involved in cystic fibrosis and outline the symptoms and possible treatment available and being developed.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene is where mutations occur for this disease. The cystic

People with this disease typically have higher levels of sodium and chloride concentrations than a person without the disease (Davies 2007). This is because of the missing gate of the chloride channel that the CFTR protein regulates, as described earlier. The most common organs to be affected by cystic fibrosis are the upper and lower air ways, reproductive tracts, pancreas, and bowel. In each organ, there is a buildup of mucus. By not being able to expel the mucus in the lungs, breathing becomes tougher and tougher and infections are very common (Ezzell, 1992).  A CF patient’s main problem is often with their lungs because they cannot effectively clear out the bacteria that has been inhaled. The immune system tries to fight this bacteria, but it ultimately causes a great inflammatory response. To compare just how bad the inflammation is, it is ten times more inflamed than a person with a lower respiratory tract infection (Davies,

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive gene that causes a wide range of symptoms because there are over 1,000 changes or mutations that can occur within the cystic fibrosis transmembrane receptor (CFTR) protein. The CFTR protein is generally a chloride ion chain “regulated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate and therefore can act as a regulator of other electrolyte channels”(Grossman, S., & Grossman, L. 2005, p. 46). Typically this protein allows chloride ions to exit mucus-producing cells allowing water to flow in and thin the mucus. However, if the CFTR protein has been mutated, such as in cystic fibrosis, chloride ions cannot exit. This causes the mucus to thicken, become sticky, and obstruct the various channels it passes through. This build up of mucus also prevents bacteria from being cleaned from cells thoroughly increasing the patients risk for infections (Grossman, S., & Grossman, L. 2005). However, the severity of CF depends on whether the patients have complete or partial loss of the CFTR gene. If the person has the classic form of CF abnormalities of CFTR will commonly affect “…the respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine and metabolic, and genitourinary systems”(Schram, C. 2012). However, if people have atypical forms of CF their genetic disorder may only affect one of the organ systems and may not be found until the patient develops symptoms in their late childhood, early adolescence, or adulthood

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessively inherited condition that affects approximately 9000 patients in the UK (Rowe et al, 2005). CF is caused by a mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene (Rowe et al, 2005), resulting in deficiencies in normal ion transport across cell membranes (Mall and Boucher, 2014). Abnormal ion transport causes the sputum to become dehydrated and more viscous (Mall and Boucher, 2014), leading to the airways becoming blocked and a reduction in the efficacy of the mucocilliary escalator at clearing sputum (Cystic Fibrosis Trust, 2011). This can result in the patient’s symptoms of breathlessness and recurrent infections as the sputum

Cystic Fibrosis is caused by a genetic defect in Chromosome 7. Chromosome 7 encodes the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, also known as CFTR. There are over 1,000 mutations of this gene causing cystic fibrosis, with each mutation manifesting as a different variation of disease onset and clinical presentation. The most common mutation is the loss of phenylalanine residue at deltaF508. The abnormal functioning CFTR causes impaired chloride transport and more viscous secretions. The defect causes dehydrated secretions in the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. Being dehydrated, these secretions become more difficult to move throughout the body. Along with impaired