Fatal Genetic Disease: Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is an existence restricting autosomal recessive disorder that influences 70,000 people around the world. The condition is known to affect principally those of European descent, though cystic fibrosis has been accounted for in all races and ethnicities. [12] Unusually viscous emissions in the airway of the lungs and in ducts of the pancreas in people with cystic fibrosis cause hindrances that prompt aggravation, tissue harm and destruction of both organ systems. Studies show that Cystic Fibrosis is more prominent in White Americans than African Americans, and Hispanics. A large number of Americans are carriers of this mutated Cystic Fibrosis gene, however if an individual is affected they must acquire two of these genes keeping

Cystic Fibrosis, also known as CF, is one of the most common life-threatening genetic disorders found in people. Discovered in 1938 by Dr. Dorothy Hansine Andersen, Cystic Fibrosis severely affects two parts of the human body, including the respiratory system and the digestive system. Cystic Fibrosis causes the mucus glands to secrete very thick and sticky mucus. This mucus then clogs the tiny air passages and traps bacteria in the lungs. The thick mucus also stops the release of digestive enzymes in the pancreas from reaching the small intestine. According to Cystic Fibrosis Queensland (2015) more than one million Australians carry the Cystic Fibrosis Gene, with one in every 25 people, often not realising they are carrying the deadly gene.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease which is progressive and limits breathing ability. The lungs and other organs are affected by a thick buildup of mucus. This mucus traps bacteria which leads lung damage, infections, and respiratory failure. The digestive enzymes being released is prevented, affecting the breakdown of food and nutrients being absorbed. ?More than 30,000 children and adults in the United States have Cystic Fibrosis. 70,000 people worldwide.? (Diagnosed With Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) Someone who has Cystic Fibrosis have a defective gene from each parent which produces faulty protein. The CFTR gene is the gene that is mutated causing this. The channel that transports chloride in and out of cells is created by instructions that are created by CFTR gene. The regulation of chloride ions and water are prevented creating the thick mucus formed on the passageways of lungs, pancreas, and other organs. Cystic Fibrosis doesn?t cause learning problems are mobility of the person. Babies with this still develop and grow up normally. The average life expectancy is close to 40 years, and has been increasing in the last fifty years thanks to improved care. ?Chronic coughing, recurring chest colds, wheezing, shortness of breath, frequent sinus infections, and allergies that last all year, are the most common symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis.? (Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms) Since this disease is progressive

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

A defect in the CFTR gene, or cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator gene, is what causes Cystic Fibrosis. Every person inherits two of these genes, one coming from each parent. If a child inherits a faulty CFTR gene from both parents they will have CF. If a child inherits only one faulty CFTR gene, they are considered “CF carriers” ("What Causes Cystic Fibrosis?," 2013). More than 10 million Americans are carriers of the defective CF gene ("Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Testing for Cystic Fibrosis," 2014). Carriers are able to live a normal, healthy life and they usually have no symptoms of CF, however, they could pass the faulty CFTR gene down to their children ("What Causes Cystic Fibrosis?," 2013). Carrier testing is available to help people identify if they could pass down the gene. The test uses blood samples or scraped cells from inside the cheek to look at a person’s genetic material ("Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – Testing for Cystic Fibrosis," 2014). The figure below shows how the CFTR gene can be inherited (Kotrla, 2014).

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system (National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute, 2013). CF is caused by mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene located on chromosome 7q31 (Beery & Workman, 2012, p. 192). More than 1600 different mutations in this gene have been identified, but 70% of cystic fibrosis patients have the amino acid ΔF508 defect. This mutation occurs when the CFTR protein is missing three nucleotides at position 508 which codes for the amino acid phenylalanine essential to nutrition (Scott, 2013, p. 493).

​Cystic fibrosis is a disease that is continually affecting children and adults in the United States. This is an inherited and life-threatening disease which affects many organs in the body. According to the Center for Disease Control, there are an estimated 30,000 people affected by this disease today. There are also approximately 2,500 babies born each year with Cystic fibrosis and unfortunately there are millions of people unaware they even carry the gene for this disease.

Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease caused by mutations in a gene on 7th pair of chromosomes. 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 “A person with CF produces abnormal CFTR protein — or no CFTR protein at all, which causes the body to make thick,

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening genetic disease, explicitly an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, which primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. An estimated 30,000 children and adults in the United States have CF (Song, Chiu, & Yoon, 2012). According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, “In the 1950s, few children with CF lived to attend elementary school”("Cystic Fibrosis Foundation," 2014, p. 1). It is important to recognize the progress that has been made on diagnosing CF, as well as the numerous treatments that have figuratively, and in a sense, literally given a breath of life to those affected by Cystic Fibrosis. The advancement in diagnostic screening at birth and specific presenting symptoms, provide physicians and practitioners the opportunity to examine and aggressively treat CF from an early age, yielding a considerable positive impact on the life expectancy of those with CF. “During the past 3 decades, treatment advances have raised the median predicted survival age in the United States from 25 years (1985), to 37.4 years (2008)”(Song, Chiu, & Yoon, 2012, p. 132).

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system most often. In the United States some 30,000 children and adults have CF. There are approximately 1,000 new cases of cystic fibrosis diagnosed each year in the US with 70% of patients diagnosed with CF by the age of two, 40% of patients with CF are 18 or older. In the 1950's most children with CF did not survive to attend elementary school, but in 2006 the median age of survival was 37 years (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 2007).

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a serious disease that is life-threatening. This disease is characterized by the buildup of thick mucous in the lungs due to a defective gene within the body. It is a disease that is genetic which means that it is passed down from one’s parents. The disease is genetic because patients with Cystic Fibrosis inherit a defective gene on chromosome 7. This gene is responsible for protein production and the moving of water and salt in and out of the body’s cells. If a person inherits on faulty CF gene from each parent the chances are very high that they will develop Cystic Fibrosis. If the person inherits only one faulty gene from their parents and one normal gene they are known as carriers of CF and usually develop no symptoms of the disease and usually end up living normal lives. However they can pass the faulty gene down to their children.

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.

Cystic Fibrosis is a medical condition in which a thick and sticky mucus progressively covers organs, causing them to malfunction. This disease is commonly known for affecting the lungs and bronchi, however there are many more risks the disease brings to organs. Not only does Cystic Fibrosis bring risk to organs, it runs risks to all people. Everyone carries two CFTS genes, however the genetic disease only occurs hereditarily in offspring of two carriers holding damaged CFTS genes. Cystic fibrosis brings a fragile lifestyle to its carriers, and to the tissue and organs of carries. Scientists are trying to find good in the commonly known as “Bad” gene. However, it takes genetic break down to understand the good and bad points of Cystic fibrosis.

According the Dr. Mickle, “CF is a variable disorder.” And “more than 800 disease-causing mutations have been identified in the CFTR [CF transmembrane conductance regulator]”. First discovering a disease that affects the phenotype needs an analyzed DNA polymorphism for linkage mapping. Therefore, the successful linkage mapping led to cystic fibrosis. In order to research more about the sequences of the CF mutations, there needed to be a specific approach with the combination of developed genotype and phenotype based therapy. The second approach to finding out more about CF mutations, was to “examine the

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects Caucasian population; incidences have been recorded in other ethnicities and populations, however, it is lower in frequency as compared to the Caucasian population (1 case in 2,000- 4,000 births) (Moskowitz et. al, 2008). Cystic fibrosis is uncommon in Asian countries as the frequency is approximately 1 case in 35,000 births in Japan (O’Sullivan and Freedman, 2009). Cystic fibrosis is a recessive disease, a mutation on both alleles encoding for the CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Region) is needed for it to be symptomatic.