I had a number of professional aspirations while growing up, but cystic fibrosis caused me to play it safe. Looking back, I wonder how my life would have been different if I didn’t let CF limit me.
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I have always been very interested in science, eventually leading to my career as a genomic scientist. My curiosity helped me cope with the uncertainties of cystic fibrosis, leading me to many academic, professional, and personal opportunities that gave me a more expansive view of how my different roles and identities can build upon one another.
Living with CF means I quickly became familiar with the patient side of the health care field. My experiences in the hospital have motivated me to become the kind of nurse that listens to and advocates for their patients.
mRNA therapy is one way to deliver the correct genetic instructions to cells, which would allow them to make functional CFTR protein regardless of an individual’s CF mutations.
Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in the gene responsible for producing the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. For this reason, scientists are exploring ways to provide a correct copy of the gene to treat CF.
Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in both copies of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. Scientists are examining whether it is possible to correct the mutations through a process called gene editing.