The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is funding research into gene editing techniques to see if they can be used to fix the mutations that cause cystic fibrosis. One of the most popular techniques is CRISPR-Cas9. To see how this might work for CF, watch this video.
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Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc. made its first major award last month to advance gene editing research in cystic fibrosis. Editas Medicine Inc. will explore the potential of using what some scientists refer to as “a tiny pair of scissors” to snip out the genetic defect that causes CF.
I was nervous about deciding to go to college — how would CF and the intensity of college fit together? There have been more than a few bumps along the way, but I’ve learned that through everything, I got this.
I initially struggled with how to share about my cystic fibrosis with people I met when I started college. Here’s what I learned.
When I was in college, I wanted to do it all and my health wasn’t as much of a priority anymore. I learned to accept that things will not always go according to plan and to integrate routine in my life to ensure my health comes first.
When I went off to college it was up to me to manage my cystic fibrosis for the first time without help from my family. I felt fine after skipping my medications and decided to stop using my noisy vest because it embarrassed me, and I wanted to make friends at my new school. As a result, I stayed in the hospital for a few weeks and left with a new perspective on life.
From a young age, I was determined that cystic fibrosis would never stop me from pursuing my dreams in the medical field. It wasn’t until I hit a road bump in pharmacy school that I realized my CF could actually give me a unique advantage.
Back in 2015, my genetic sequencing revealed one nonsense mutation. But recently, I learned I have another nonsense mutation that may not have been identified when my genes were first sequenced. As more mutation-dependent therapies are developed, it’s crucial that people with CF have accurate information so they can make informed decisions.
As cystic fibrosis damaged my lungs, I did all I could to make it to my university graduation before I underwent lung transplant.