Cystic_Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis is an incurable hereditary disorder in which the body secretes abnormally thick, sticky mucus, due to the faulty transport of sodium and chloride within cells lining organs such as the lungs and pancreas. The mucus hinders the pancreas, in preventing enzymes from reaching the intestines to help break down and digest food. It also leads to problems with breathing, digestion, infection, and death. Burton L. Shapiro, Ph.D. and Ralph C. Heussneer, Jr. report that cystic fibrosis can date back to as early as the 1600’s when there were references to children with a “salty taste” and fatty stools. It was not defined as a distinct disease until the 1930’s. Shapiro and Heussneer also state that in 1944 scientists recognized how a widespread defect in mucous secretions could explain many symptoms of cystic fibrosis. In 1946 the recessive inheritance pattern was proposed. Diagnosis, the development of the sweat test, and successful treatment of lung infection with antibiotics came about in the 1950’s. In 1985 three different groups of scientists proved that the gene, which holds the recessive trait of cystic fibrosis, was located on chromosome 7. According to Encarta, in the United States cystic fibrosis occurs in about one out fibrosis, cystic, patients, lung, gene, disease, sweat, drug, about, test, people, life, transplant, therapy, states, shapiro, one, lungs, eide, age, symptoms, percent, patient, foundation, dha, children, two, treatment, treat, through, tests, reports, recessive, pancreas, nhlbi, much