By UCLA News –
UCLA researchers are developing a gene-editing platform that aims to correct the root cause of the disease
Imagine a future where treating cystic fibrosis is as simple as taking a deep breath. That’s exactly what a team of pediatric physician-scientists at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA is working to achieve.
Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disease that clogs the lungs with thick, sticky mucus, leading to chronic infections and severe organ damage. Despite breakthrough medications that have been transformative for some, the drugs come with significant limitations: they don’t work for everyone, can cost millions over a lifetime and, most critically, don’t address the root cause of the condition. Without a curative treatment, the disorder remains a ticking clock for patients who don’t respond to existing drugs, many of whom face respiratory failure by their 30s or 40s.
