Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one the most common life-threatening inherited disorders found in the UK, affecting over 9,000 people.
Over 2 million people carry the faulty gene which gives a carrier frequency as high as 1 in 25.
Cystic Fibrosis affects the internal organs, especially the lungs causing them to produce excessive amounts of thick sticky mucus . This causes clogging making it difficult to breathe and hard to digest food.
Each week, 5 babies are born with CF and each week 2 young lives are lost to CF. Treatment has improved but average life expectancy is still only 30-40 years. Carrier frequency 1 in 25.
There is currently no cure for Cystic Fibrosis except for a heart and lung transplant. Gene therapy is believed currently to be the nearest thing to a cure. Currently drug treatment is the best approach but it only alleviates the symptoms.
Carrier status for one or more of FXS, SMA and CF can be determined in a single blood sample.
